{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_41892/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_41892","id":"gutenberg_41892","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/41892","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Philosophy & Ethics","Category: Religion/Spirituality","New Thought"],"text":"DYNAMIC THOUGHT\n\n  OR\n\n  THE LAW OF VIBRANT\n  ENERGY\n\n  BY\n\n  WILLIAM WALKER ATKINSON\n\n\n  _Author of \"Thought Force;\" \"Law of the New Thought;\" \"Nuggets of\n  the New Thought;\" \"Memory Culture\" and other Scientific and\n  Occult Works. Associate Editor of \"Suggestion,\" 1900-01;\n  Editor of \"New Thought,\" 1901-05; Co-Editor\n  of \"The Segnogram,\" 1906._\n\n  \"I am attacked by two very opposite sects--the Scientists and the\n  Know-Nothings; both laugh at me, calling me the 'Frogs' Dancing Master,'\n  but I know that I have discovered one of the greatest Forces in Nature.\"\n  --GALVINI.\n\n\n  1906\n  THE SEGNOGRAM PUBLISHING COMPANY\n  LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA\n\n\n\n\nCopyright 1906 By The Segnogram Publishing Company\n\n\nNOTICE.--This book is protected by Copyright, and simultaneous initial\npublication in the United States of America, Canada, Great Britain,\nFrance, Germany, Russia, and other countries. All rights reserved.\n\n\n\n\nA FOREWORD\n\n\nThis is a queer book. It is a marriage of the Ancient Occult Teachings\nto the latest and most advanced conceptions of Modern Science--an odd\nunion, for the parties thereto are of entirely different temperaments.\nThe marriage might be expected to result disastrously, were it not for\nthe fact that a connecting link has been found that gives them a bond of\ncommon interest. No two people may truly love each other, unless they\nalso love something in common--the more they love in common, the greater\nwill be their love for each other. And, let us trust that this will\nprove true in this marriage of Occultism and Science, celebrated in this\nbook.\n\nThe Occultists usually get at the \"facts,\" first, but they manage to\nevolve such outrageous theories to explain the facts, that the world\nwill have none of their wares, and turns to Science for something\n\"reasonable.\" Science, proceeding along different lines, at first denies\nthese \"facts\" of the Occultists, not finding them accounted for by any\nof her existing theories; but, later on, when the \"facts\" have been\nfinally thrust under her eyes, after repeated attempts and failures, she\nsays, \"Oh, yes, of course!\" and proceeds to evolve a new theory, welding\nit with other scientific hypotheses, and after attaching a new label\nthereto, she proudly exhibits the thing as \"the latest discovery of\nModern Science\"--and smiles indulgently, or indignantly, when the theory\nof the old Occultists is mentioned, saying, \"Quite a different thing, we\nassure you!\" And yet, in all justice, be it said, Science usually\nproceeds to find much better \"proofs\" to fit the \"facts\" of Occultism,\nthan did the Occultists themselves. The Occultist \"sees things,\" but is\na poor hand at \"proofs\"--while the Scientist is great on \"proofs,\" but\nso often, and so long, fails to see many things patent to the Occultist\nwho is able to \"look within\" himself, but who is then unable to\npositively and scientifically \"prove\" the facts. This is easily\nexplained--the Occultist's information comes from \"within,\" while the\nScientist's comes from without--and \"proofs\" belong to the \"without\"\nside of Mentation. And this is why the Occultists so often make such a\nbungle regarding \"proofs\" and the Scientist fails to see \"facts\" that\nare staring the Occultist in the face.\n\nThe whole history of Occultism and Science proves the above. Take the\nphenomenon called \"Mesmerism\" for instance--it was an old story with the\nOccultists, who had been for years aware of it, theoretically and\npractically. Mesmer brought it into general prominence, and Science\nlaughed at it and at Mesmer's \"fluid\" theory, and called him a charlatan\nand imposter. Years afterwards, Braid, an English surgeon, discovered\nthat some of the facts of \"Mesmerism\" were true, and he announced his\ndiscovery in a scientific manner, and lo! his views were accepted, and\nthe thing was called \"Hypnotism,\" poor old Mesmer being forgotten,\nbecause of his theory. Then, after a number of years, certain other\naspects of the phenomenon were discovered, and scientifically relabelled\n\"Suggestion,\" and the re-naming was supposed to \"explain\" the entire\nsubject, the learned ones now saying, \"Pooh, 'tis nothing but\n'Suggestion,'\" as if _that_ explained the matter. But so far, they have\nonly accepted certain phases of this form of Dynamic Thought--for that\nis what it is, and there are many other phases of which they do not\ndream.\n\nAnd the same is true of the Occult Teaching that there is \"Life in\nEverything--the Universe is Alive.\" For years, this idea was hooted at,\nand we had learned scientific discourses upon \"dead Matter,\" \"inert\nsubstance,\" etc. But, only within the past decade--yes, within the last\nfive years, has Science discovered that there was Life in Everything,\nand that even in the Atom of mineral and chemical substance, there was\nto be found evidence of Mind. And Science is beginning to plume itself\non its \"recent discovery,\" and to account for it by a new theory, which\nis \"quite a different thing, we assure you,\" from the old Occult Theory.\n\nAnd the same will prove true in the case of the Occult Teaching of an\nUniversal Mind, or Cosmic Mind. Science and Philosophy have long laughed\nat this, but even now their foremost investigators have come to the\nborders of a new country, and are gasping in amazement at what they see\nbeyond its borders--they are now talking about \"Life and Mind in the\nEther\"--and before long they will discard their paradoxical, absurd,\nhypothetical Ether, and say, \"We are bathed in an Ocean of Mind\"--only\nthey will insist that this \"Ocean of Mind\" is, somehow, a \"secretion of\nMatter\"--something oozing out from the pores of Matter, perhaps.\n\nBut Science is doing valuable work in the direction of investigation and\nexperiment, and in this way is _proving the principal occult teachings_\nin a way impossible to the Occultists themselves.\n\nSo, you see that both Occultism and Science have their own work to\ndo--and neither can do the work of the other. Just now Science is\ncoquetting with the question of \"Thought Transmission,\" etc., at which\nshe has for so long sneered and laughed. By and by she will accept the\nfacts, and then proceed to prove them by a series of careful and\nconclusive experiments, and will then announce the result, solemnly, as\n\"a triumph of Science.\"\n\nAnd so, in this book you will find a marriage of the old Occult\nTeachings and Modern Scientific Researches and Investigation. And the\ntwo are bound together with that bond forged by the writer of the\nbook--heated in the oven of his mind, and hammered into shape with his\n\"untrained\" thought--a crude, clumsy thing, but it serves its purpose--a\nthing called \"_The Theory of Dynamic Thought_.\"\n\nAnd so, this is what this Theory is--a \"_tie that binds_.\" How you will\nlike it depends upon yourself. For himself, the writer does not hesitate\nto say that he is pleased with his handiwork, rude, and clumsy though it\nmay be. He believes that he has made a thing that will stand wear and\ntear, and that though it be not beautifully finished, it \"will serve,\"\nand \"be useful.\" And that is the main thing, after all. And, then,\nperhaps, some may see beauty in the very crudeness of the thing--may see\nthat it bears the loving mark of the hammer that beat it into shape--may\nrecognize that over it has passed the caress of the hand that made\nit--and in that seeing there may come the recognition of a beauty that\nis beyond \"prettiness.\"\n\n    WILLIAM WALKER ATKINSON.\n\n    _Los Angeles, California,\n    February 16, 1906._\n\n\n\n\nCONTENTS\n\n\n  CHAPTER.                                   PAGE.\n\n     I. \"In the Beginning\"                     11\n\n    II. Things as They Are                     20\n\n   III. The Universality of Life and Mind      30\n\n    IV. Life and Mind Among the Atoms          41\n\n     V. The Story of Substance                 61\n\n    VI. Substance and Beyond                   75\n\n   VII. The Paradox of Science                 96\n\n  VIII. The Forces of Nature                  109\n\n    IX. Radiant Energy                        121\n\n     X. The Law of Attraction                 135\n\n    XI. The Theory of Dynamic Thought         154\n\n   XII. The Law of Vibrant Energy             171\n\n  XIII. The Riddle of the Sphinx              182\n\n   XIV. The Mystery of Mind                   200\n\n    XV. The Finer Forces of the Mind          206\n\n   XVI. Thought in Action                     219\n\n\n\n\n    \"A fire-mist and a planet,\n       A crystal and a cell,\n     A jelly-fish and a saurian,\n       And caves where the cave-men dwell;\n     Then a sense of law and beauty,\n       And a face turned from the clod,--\n     Some call it Evolution,\n       And others call it God.\"\n\n    \"Like tides on a crescent sea-beach,\n       When the moon is new and thin,\n     Into our hearts high yearnings\n       Come welling and surging in,--\n       Come from the mystic ocean\n     Whose rim no foot has trod,--\n       Some of us call it Longing,\n     And others call it God.\"\n\n    --W.H. CARRUTH.\n\n\n\n\nDYNAMIC THOUGHT\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER I\n\n\"IN THE BEGINNING\"\n\n\nThis book will deal with Life. It holds that Life is Universal--that it\nis inherent in, and manifests (in different degrees) in every part,\nparticle, phase, aspect, condition, place, or relationship, in the World\nof Things that we call the Universe.\n\nIt holds that Life manifests in two aspects or forms, which are\ngenerally found by us in connection and co-operation with each other,\nbut which are both, probably, an expression of some One Thing higher\nthan either. These two aspects or forms, which together go to make up or\nproduce that which we know as \"Life,\" are known as (1) Substance or\nMatter; and (2) Mind. In this book the term \"Substance\" is used in\npreference to \"Matter,\" owing to the fact that the term \"Matter\" has\nbecome closely identified with certain ideas of the Materialistic school\nof thought, and has generally been regarded by the public in the light\nof \"dead matter,\" whereas this book holds that all Substance is Alive.\nThe term \"Mind\" is used in the sense of \"Mind, _as we know it_,\" rather\nthan as \"Mind, _as it is_\"--or, as \"The Cosmic Mind.\" In some places the\nterm \"Mind-principle\" is used to convey the idea of \"a portion of the\nGreat Principle of Mind, of which that which we call 'Mind' is but a\nsmall and but partially expressed portion.\" These terms are explained\nand illustrated as we proceed. The aspect of \"Energy or Force\" is not\ntreated as a separate aspect or form of Life, in this book, for the\nreason that it is regarded as merely a manifestation of Mind, as will\nappear as we proceed. We have much to say regarding Motion, but the\nwriter has tried to explain and prove that, at the last, all Motion\nresults from Mental Action, and that all Force and Energy is\nVital-Mental Force and Energy.\n\nThis book is not intended to run along metaphysical or theological\nlines--its field is different. And so, while it recognizes the\nimportance of these branches of human thought, still, it finds that its\nown particular field is sufficient to engross its entire attention, for\nthe moment, and, consequently the aforesaid subjects shall not be\ntouched upon except incidentally, in connection with the subject matter\nof the book.\n\nThis being the case, there will be no discussion of the \"origin of\nLife\"--the question of \"creation\"--the problems of theology and\nmetaphysics--the riddle of the \"Why and Wherefore\" of Life and the\nUniverse. The writer has his own opinions upon these questions, but\nfeels that this is not the place in which to air the same. For the\npurposes of the book, he prefers to leave every reader to his own\nfavorite views and conceptions regarding these great subjects, feeling\nthat the views regarding Life, Mind, Motion and Substance, that are\nadvanced in this book, may be accepted by any intelligent reader,\nwithout prejudice to his, or her, accepted religious or philosophical\nviews.\n\nThe writer sees that this something called \"Life\" exists--he finds it in\nevidence everywhere. And he sees it always in its aspects of Substance\nand Mind. And he feels justified in regarding \"Life\" as always existing\nin, and manifesting in these aspects--always in conjunction--at least,\nLife \"as we know it.\"\n\nAnd he finds certain apparent Laws of Life in operation in the Universe\nto which all Life, in all of its aspects, is apparently amenable. And\nhe feels justified in considering these Laws constant, and invariable,\nand unchangeable so long as the Universe, as it now is, exists.\n\nAnd with the above views in mind, this book will proceed to a\nconsideration of its subject, without attempting to peer behind the veil\nseparating the Universe from its Causer--Life from its Source.\n\nBut in justice to reader, subject and writer, the latter has thought it\nwell to state that he _does_ recognize, not only the veil, but\nThat-which-is-behind-the-Veil. To proceed without this statement would\nbe unfair and misleading. The writer wishes to be understood positively\nupon this point, even though the declaration may bring forth the\nderisive jeer of those who feel that they \"have outgrown\" this\nconception; or else the calm, superior, pitying smile of those who feel\nthat the Universe is its own Cause and Effect. By \"Universe,\" the writer\nmeans \"The whole body of Things\" (Webster). His declaration means that\nhe believes in \"That-which-is-above-Things.\"\n\nThe writer prefers not to attempt to \"define\" THAT which he calls \"The\nInfinite.\" The word \"Infinite\" means \"without limit in time, space,\npower, capacity, knowledge or excellence\" (Webster). And to \"define\" is\nto \"limit\"; \"mark the limits of\"; \"mark the end of,\" etc. The term\n\"define,\" as applied to \"The Infinite,\" is ridiculous--an absurd\nparadox. The writer echoes Spinoza's statement: \"To define God is to\ndeny Him.\" And so there shall be no attempt at definition or limitation.\n\nBut the human mind, in considering the subject, is bound by its own laws\nto think of \"The Infinite\" as Real, and actually being and existent, if\nit thinks of It at all. And if it thinks of It as \"Infinite,\" it _must_,\nby its own laws, think of It as Causeless; Eternal; Absolute;\nEverywhere-present; All-Powerful; All-Wise. The human mind is\n_compelled_ to so consider The Infinite, if it thinks of It at all. But\neven in so thinking of It as \"being\" these things, it is doing something\nlike \"defining\" or \"limiting\" It, for The Infinite must not only \"be\"\nthose things, but it must \"be\" so much more, that \"those things\" are but\nas a grain of dust on the desert as compared to the real \"Being\" of The\nInfinite. For the \"things\" mentioned are but \"finite\" or \"defined\"\nthings--things possessed by the Finite Things--and, at the best can be\nbut symbols of the attributes or qualities of The Infinite; even the\nwords \"attributes\" or \"qualities\" being an absurdity as applied to The\nInfinite. This view, also, _must_ be reported by the human reason, if\nit thinks about the matter at all.\n\nThe final report of the human reason regarding this matter is that it is\ninsoluble and unthinkable to that reason, in its final analysis. This\nbecause the human reason is compelled to use terms, concepts, etc.,\nderived from its experience with finite things, and therefore has no\ntools, measurements, or other appliances with which to \"think\" of The\nInfinite. All that it can do is to report that it finds that it has\nlimits itself, and that it finds beyond those limits That which it\ncannot define, but which it is justified in considering as Infinite, and\nsuperior to all finite conceptions, such as Time, Space, Causation and\nThought. (The idea of Thought being finite, equally with Time, Space and\nCausation, is not common, by the writer is compelled to place it in that\ncategory, because it is clearly under the laws of Time, Space, and Cause\nand Effect, and must be considered as \"finite.\" The \"knowledge\"\npossessed by The Infinite must be something far transcending that which\nwe know as the result of \"mental operations,\" or \"thinking.\")\n\nCertain fundamental truths seem to have been impressed upon the human\nintellect, and the reason is compelled to report in accordance\ntherewith. But an analysis of these fundamental truths is futile, and\nthe attempt only leads one into wild speculations. The only advantage\nthat comes from the attempt is the strengthening of mental muscle of\nthose who are able to stand the strain of the exercise; and the fact\nthat by such attempt we are made aware that we do not know, and cannot\nknow, by reasons of the nature of the Intellect, and are thus prevented\nfrom harboring absurd and childish theories about the Unknowable. To\nknow that we do _not_ know, and _cannot_ know, is the next best thing to\nactually knowing.\n\nThe writer does not wish to be understood, that the limits of the human\nreason are unalterably fixed. On the contrary, he believes that\nadditional fundamental portions of Truth are super-imposed upon the mind\nof the race from time to time. And he believes, yes, _knows_, that there\nare regions of the mind that give reports higher than those conveyed\nthrough the Intellect. And he believes that there are phases of\nknowledge in store for Man that will raise him as much higher than his\npresent position, as that present position is superior to that of the\nearthworm. And he believes that there are Beings in existence to-day, on\nplanes of Life as yet undreamed of by the average man, who far transcend\nMan in power, wisdom and nature. He believes that Man is merely just\nentering into his kingdom, and does not realize the grandeur of that\nwhich is his Divine Inheritance.\n\nIt will be as well to mention here that the classification of Mind with\nthe aspects of Life, in conjunction with Substance, and Motion, does not\nmean that the Ego or Man is a material thing. The writer believes that\nthe Ego is a transcendent Being, partaking in some wonderful way of the\nessence of The Infinite--that it is a Soul--Immortal. He believes that\nas Paul says, \"We are all children of God, but what we shall be does not\nas yet appear.\" These matters shall not be discussed in this book, but\nthe writer wishes to make himself clear, in order to prevent\nmisunderstanding. Again, in this respect, he must \"fly in the face of\nMaterialism.\"\n\nBut, although the writer expresses his belief in the existence of The\nInfinite, and bases his philosophy upon that basis, he does not wish to\ninsist upon the identification of his conception with that of any other\nparticular conception of the Source of Life. Nor does he insist upon\nnames, or terms, in connection with the conception. He has used the\nterm, \"The Infinite,\" because it seems to be broader than any other of\nwhich he could think, but he uses it merely as a name for the\nUn-Nameable. So, if the reader prefers, he, or she, may use the terms:\n\"God\"; \"Deity\"; \"First Cause\"; \"Principle\"; \"Unknowable\"; \"Infinite and\nEternal Energy\"; \"The Thing-in-Itself\"; \"The Absolute\"; or any of the\nother countless terms used by Man in his attempt to name the\nUn-Nameable--to describe the Un-Describable--to define the Un-Definable.\n\nAnd all may retain their ideas, or lack of ideas, regarding the relation\nof The Infinite to their own particular religious views, or lack of\nviews. The philosophy of this book need not disturb a man's religious\nbelief--nor does it insist upon the man holding any special religious\nbelief. Those are matters entirely for the exercise of the man's own\nreason and conscience. And they may retain their own pet philosophy\nregarding the origin, purposes or plan of the production and existence\nof the Universe--this book shall not meddle with their metaphysics or\nphilosophy. What is herein offered may be assimilated with the\nfundamental ideas of nearly every form of religious or philosophical\nbelief, it being in the nature of an Addition rather than a Subtraction,\nor Division. Its philosophy is Constructive rather than Destructive.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER II\n\nTHINGS AS THEY ARE\n\n\nIn our last chapter we considered the Source-of-All-Things, which we\ncalled The Infinite. In this chapter we shall consider the All-Things\nitself, which men call The Universe. Note that the word Universe is\nderived from the Latin word \"Unus,\" meaning \"One,\" and \"_Versor_,\"\nmeaning \"to turn,\" the combined word meaning, literally, \"One that\nturns, or moves.\" The Latin words indicate a close meaning, namely, One\nthing in motion, turning its several aspects, and assuming many changes\nof appearance.\n\nThe writer does not intend touching upon theories of the origin of the\nUniverse, nor of its purpose, or of any design in its production or\nmanagement, nor of its possible or probable end. These questions do not\nbelong to our subject, and then again, as was said in the last chapter,\nspeculation regarding it is devoid of results, and leads one to\nquicksands and bogs of mental reasoning, from which it is difficult to\nextract oneself. The answer to the Riddle of the Universe rests with The\nInfinite.\n\nBut it is different with the case of the manifested Universe that is\nevidenced by our senses. Science is a different thing from metaphysics,\nand its process and mode of work are along different lines. And, much\nknowledge of Things may be obtained from a consideration of\nit--remembering always, that its knowledge is confined to Things, and\nnot to That-which-is-back-of-Things. And, so let us consider the\nUniverse of Things.\n\nMaterial Science has held that the Universe is composed of two\nprinciples, (1) Matter; (2) Energy or Force. Some hold that these two\nprinciples really are aspects of the same thing, and that there is\nreally but one Principle, one aspect of which is shape, form, etc., and\ncalled Matter; the other a quality manifesting in Motion, which quality\nis called Force. Others, the most radical, hold that there is nothing\nbut Matter, and that Force and Energy is but a \"quality,\" or \"power,\"\ninherent in Matter. Others hold that Force is the \"real thing\" and\nMatter but a form of Force. All branches hold to the idea that Matter\nand Energy are always found together, and can not be thought of\nseparately. Matter and Force are held to be Eternal, and Infinite, it\nfollowing that there can be no addition to, or subtraction from either;\nall apparent loss and gain, creation and destruction being but change of\nform or mode. God is declared unnecessary, and the Universe is held to\noperate according to certain Laws of Matter or Force (either or both)\nwhich are unchangeable and immutable--eternal and always valid. Mind and\nThought are held to be products of properties of Matter or Force (one or\nboth), secreted, evolved, or produced in the Brain. The Soul is\nrelegated to the waste heap, and discarded as useless in the new\nphilosophy. _Moleschott_ said, \"Thought is a motion of Matter\"; and\n_Holbach_, that \"Matter enjoys the power of thinking.\" \"Natural Laws\"\nare held to be sufficient for the explanation of all phenomena, although\nignoring the fact that the reason has never before formed the conception\nof a \"law,\" without thinking it necessary to think of a \"law-maker,\" or\na power to enforce and administer the law. However, the philosophers\nhold that it is no more difficult to think of such a law than to try to\nform an idea of Space or Eternity, both of which are unthinkable to the\nhuman reason, but both of which are admitted as self-evident facts.\n\nBut notwithstanding this somewhat crude and \"raw\" reasoning, Material\nScience has accomplished a wonderful work in the world, and has brought\nto light facts of inestimable value to Man in mastering the material\nworld, and in forming correct ideas of the solution of material\ndifficulties. The facts of Material Science enables the world to\ncheerfully overlook its theories. And even the theories are rapidly\nundergoing a change, and, as we have stated, some of the most advanced\nscientists are rapidly reaching the position of the Occultists and\nmystics, bringing with them a mass of facts to back them up, to exhibit\nto the Occultists who dealt with principles rather than with details, or\nmaterial facts, so far as fundamental theories were concerned. Each is\nboring his way through the mountain tunnel of the Unknown, and both will\nmeet in the centre, their lines meeting each other without a variation.\nBut the Occultists will call the tunnel-centre Mind, and the scientists\nwill call it Matter, but both will be speaking of the same thing. And\nthe Causer of the mountain will probably know that they both are right.\n\nBut, we are speaking of the new school of advanced Material Science\nnow--not of the old conservative \"All is Matter\" people, who have been\nleft behind. The new school speaks of Substance now, instead of Matter,\nand ascribes to \"Substance\" the properties of Matter, Energy, and\nsomething that they call Sensation, by which they mean Mind in a crude\nform, and from which they say Mind and \"Soul\" evolved.\n\nThis new school of Scientists are very different from their\npredecessors--they are less \"hide-bound,\" and far from being so\n\"cock-sure.\" They are seeing Matter melting into Energy, and giving\nsigns of Sensation, and they are beginning to feel that, after all,\nthere must be a Thing-in-Itself, that is the real basis of, or \"real\nthing\" in Substance. There is heard very little among them about \"dead\nmatter\"; \"blind force\"; or of the \"mechanical theory\" of Life and the\nUniverse. Instead of it being a big machine, operated under mechanical\nlaws, with Life as the steam, the Universe is beginning to be regarded\nas somehow filled with Life, and Science is finding new examples of Life\nin unexpected quarters, and the \"dead matter\" area is being narrowed.\n\nMen who have followed the advances made by recent Science are holding\ntheir breaths in awe and earnest expectation--and those who are pushing\nthe inquiries and investigations to the furthest extent are showing by\ntheir eager faces and trembling hands that they feel that they are very\nclose to the border line separating the old Materialism from a New\nScience that will give Thought and Philosophy a new impetus and a new\nplatform. Such men are feeling that they are seeing the old Matter\nmelting away into something else--the old theories are falling apart\nunder the light of new discoveries--and these men feel that they are\npenetrating a new and hitherto unexplored region of the Unknown. May\nsuccess be theirs, for they are now on the right road to Truth.\n\nIn the following chapters we shall see frequent references to\n\"Science\"--and when we use the word we shall know it means this new\nschool of Scientists, rather than the older school that is now being\nsuperceded. There is no conflict between True Occultism and True\nScience, notwithstanding their directly opposite theories and\nideals--they are merely looking at the Truth from different\nviewpoints--at different sides of the same shield. A better day is\ncoming, when they shall work together, instead of in opposition. There\nshould be no partisanship in the search for Truth.\n\nThings have worked this way: Occultism would enunciate a theory or\nprinciple--but would not attempt to prove it by material facts, for it\nhad not gathered the facts, having found the principle _within_ the\nmind, rather than without. Then, after laughing at the occult theory or\nprinciple, Science would search diligently for material facts to prove\nan opposite theory, and in so doing would unearth new facts that would\nsupport the Occultists contention. Then Science would discard its old\ntheory (that is, the younger men would--the old ones, never) and proceed\nto proclaim a new theory or principle, under a new name, and backed up\nwith a mass of facts and experiments that would create a new school with\nmany enthusiastic followers. The old claim of the Occultists would then\nbe forgotten or else go unrecognized under its old name; or disguised by\nthe fantastic and _bizarre_ coverings which some so-called Occultists\nhad draped around the original Truth.\n\nBut, so long as Truth is being uncovered, what matters it who does the\nwork, or by what name he calls his school. The movement is ever forward,\nand upward--what matter the banner under which the armies move?\n\nIn this book the writer will advance a very different theory of the\nUniverse of All-Things from that of Modern Science, although he feels\nthat his theory may easily be reconciled with the most advanced views of\nthat school.\n\nIn the first place, as he has stated in the first chapter, he does not\nhold that the Universe, as we know it, is self-sufficient, but he\nrecognizes a Something back of all phenomena and appearances, which\nSomething he calls \"The Infinite.\"\n\nAnd he differs very materially from the views of those who claim that\nMind is but a property, or quality, or something proceeding from Matter\nor Force, or Matter-Force, or Force-Matter--according to the views of\nthe respective schools. He takes an entirely different and opposite\nposition.\n\nHe holds that all that we call Matter (or Substance) and Mind (_as we\nknow it_) are but aspects of something infinitely higher, and which may\nbe called the \"Cosmic Mind.\" He holds that _what we call_ \"Mind\" is but\na partial manifestation of the Cosmic Mind. And that Substance or Matter\nis but a cruder or grosser form of that which we call Mind, and which\nhas been manifested in order to give Mind a Body through which to\noperate. But this view he merely states in passing, for he makes no\nattempt to demonstrate or prove the same, his idea being that it forms a\ndifferent part of the general subject than the phase of \"Dynamic\nThought,\" to the consideration of which this book is devoted.\n\nHe also differs very materially from the Materialistic school in his\nconception of Force or Energy. Instead of regarding Force as a distinct\nprinciple, and as something of which Mind is but a form, he walks boldly\nout into the arena of Scientific Thought, and throwing down his\ngauntlet, proclaims his theory that \"There is no such thing as Force\napart from Life and Mind\"--\"All Force and Energy is the product of Life\nand Mind--all Force, Energy and Motion result from Vital-Mental\nAction--all Force, Energy and Motion is Vital-Mental Force, Energy and\nMotion.\"--\"The Mind abiding in and permeating all Substance, not only\nhas the power to Think, but also the power to Act, and to manifest Force\nand Energy, which are its inherent and essential properties.\"\n\nHe also takes the position that Mind is in and about and around\nEverything. And that \"Everything is Alive and Thinking.\" And that there\nis no such things as \"Dead-Matter,\" or \"Blind-Force,\" but that all\nSubstance, even to the tiniest Particle, is permeated with Life and\nMind, and that all Force and Motion is caused and manifested by Mind.\n\nHe holds that all forms of Force, Energy and Motion, from the Attraction\nof the Particles of Matter, and their movements in response thereto, up\nto the Attraction of Gravitation, and the response of the Worlds, and\nSuns, and Stars, and Planets, thereto--are forms of Mental Energy and\nForce, and Action. And that from the tiniest atom, or particle, to the\ngreatest Sun--all obey this Great Action of Mind--this Great Force of\nMind--this Great Energy of Mind--this Great Power of Mind.\n\nAnd upon this rock--this rock of Truth, he believes it to be--he takes\nhis stand, and announces his belief, and bids all-comers take notice of\nwhat he believes to be a germ-thought that will grow, develop, and\nincrease so that it will eventually permeate all Scientific Thought as\nthe years roll along. He calls this theory \"The Theory of Dynamic\nThought.\"\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER III\n\nTHE UNIVERSALITY OF LIFE AND MIND\n\n\nThe writer has deemed it advisable to preface his consideration of\n\"Mind\" in itself, as well as of Substance and Motion, with two chapters,\nthe purpose of which will be to demonstrate that Mind, in some form or\ndegree, is to be found in connection with all Things--and that\nEverything has Life--and that Mind is an accompaniment of all Life. To\nmany the term \"Mind\" means only the \"thinking quality\" of man, or\nperhaps of the lower animals; and \"Life\" the property only of such\norganic creatures. For that reason it has been deemed advisable to point\nout that Life and Mind are found even in the lowest forms of\nsubstance--even in the inorganic world.\n\nIn this chapter and from now on, the writer shall use the term \"_the_\nMind,\" etc., to indicate the particular mental principle of the creature\nor thing--the bit of Mind that is segregated from the rest, and which\neach person thinks of as \"mine,\" just as he thinks of \"my\" body, as\ndistinguished from the universal supply of Substance. The term \"Mind\"\nwill be used in its Universal sense.\n\nAnd, the writer intends to use Elmer Gates' term, \"_Mentation_,\" in the\nsense of \"effort; action; or effect; in or of, the Mind\"--in short,\n\"mental process.\" The word is useful and when one has learned to use it,\nhe will prefer it to the more complicated terms. Remember, then,\nplease--\"Mentation\" means \"Mental Process.\" Mentation includes that\nwhich we call \"Thought,\" as well as some more elementary forms of mental\nprocess that we are not in the habit of dignifying by the term, Thought,\nwhich latter we usually reserve for mental process of a higher order.\n\nSo, then, \"Mind\" is the something of which one's particular Mind is\ncomposed; \"The Mind\" is that something possessed by one, by and through\nwhich he \"thinks\"; \"Mentation\" is mental process; and \"Thought\" is a\nadvanced kind of Mentation. At least, the said words will be so employed\nin this book, from now on.\n\nIn this chapter, you are asked to consider the fact that Life is\nUniversal--that Everything is Alive. And, that Mind and Mentation is an\nattribute of Life, and that, consequently, Everything has Mind, and is\nable to express a degree of Mentation.\n\nForms of Life, as we know them, are always seen as possessing two\naspects, _viz._, (1) Body (Substance); and (2) Mentation (Mind). The two\naspects are always found in combination. There may be living creatures\nwho occupy bodies of so fine a form of Substance as to be invisible to\nthe human senses--but their bodies would be \"Substance\" just as much as\nis the \"body\" of the granite rock. And, in order to \"think,\" these\nbeings would need to have a material something corresponding to the\nbrain, though it be finer in quality than the rarest gas, vapor, of\nelectric wave. No body, without Mentation; no Mentation without a body.\nThis last is the invariable law of the world of Things. And naught but\nThe Infinite--That-which-is-above-Things--can be exempt from that law.\n\nIn order to grasp the idea of the Universality of Mind, let us go back\nto the elementary forms of Things, and, step by step, see how Mentation\nmanifests itself in every point on the scale from mineral to man--using\nbodies ranging from the hardest rock to that finest form of known\nSubstance--the Brain of Man. As Mind advances in the scale of evolution\nit creates its own working instrument--the body (including the brain)\nand shapes, and moulds it to admit of the fullest possible expression of\nMentation possible at that stage. Mind is the moulder--body (and brain)\nthat which is moulded. And Inclination, Desire, and Will, are the motive\npowers leading to gradual Unfoldment, the impelling cause being the\ncraving for Satisfaction.\n\nWe shall make our journey backward--and ignoring Beings higher in the\nscale, we shall start with Man. Leaving out of the consideration, for\nthe moment, the fact of the existence of the \"Ego,\" or \"Spirit\" of Man,\nwhich is higher than Body or Mind--and considering \"the Mind of Man,\"\nrather than the Man himself--we have our starting point on the downward\njourney of investigation. We need not devote much attention to the\nconsideration of the Mind of Man, at this stage, although we shall have\nmuch to do with it, later on.\n\nBut we may undertake a brief consideration of the descending degrees of\nMentation as manifested by Man, as we pass down the scale in the human\nfamily, considering in turn, the Newtons, Shakespeares, Emersons,\nEdisons, and their brothers in intellect, in the field of mathematics,\nliterature, music, art, invention, science, statesmanship, business,\nskilled workmanship, etc., respectively. From these high levels we pass\ndown, gradually, through the strata of men of but a slightly lower\ndegree of intellect--down through the strata of the \"average man\"--down\nthrough the strata of the ignorant man--down through the strata of the\nlowest type of our own race and time--down through the strata of the\nbarbarian, then on to the savage, then on to the Digger Indian, the\nBushman. What a difference from highest to lowest--a being from another\nworld would doubt that they were all of the same family.\n\nThen we pass rapidly through the various strata of the lower animal\nkingdom--from the comparatively high degree of Mentation of the horse,\nthe dog, the elephant, etc., down through the descending scale of the\nmammals, the degree of Mentation becoming less marked at each step of\nthe journey. Then on through the bird kingdom. Then through the world of\nreptiles. Then through the family of fishes. Then through the millions\nof forms of insect life, including those wonderful creatures, the ant\nand the bee. Then on through the shell-fish family. Then on through the\ncommunity of sponges, polyps, and other low forms of life. Then on to\nthe vast empire of the microscopic creatures, whose name is legion. Then\non to the plant life, the highest of which have \"sensitive cells\" that\nresemble brains and nerves--descending by stages to the lower plant\nlife. Then still lower to the world of bacteria, microbes, and\ninfusoria--the groups of cells with a common life--the monera--the\nsingle cell. The mind that has followed us in this descent of life, from\nthe highest form to the cell-like \"thing\" merely \"existing\" in the slime\nat the bottom of the ocean, has acquired a sense of awe and sublimity\nnot dreamed of by \"the man on the street.\"\n\nThe degrees of Mentation in the lower animal kingdom are well known to\nall of us, therefore, we need not devote much time to their\nconsideration at this time. Although the degree of Mentation in some of\nthe lowly forms of animal life, are scarcely above that of the plant\nlife (in fact, are inferior to that of the highest plants), still we\nhave accustomed ourselves to the use of the word \"Mind\" in connection\nwith even the lowest animals, while we hesitate to apply the word to the\nplants.\n\nIt is true that some of us do not like to think of the lower animals\n\"reasoning,\" so we use the word \"Instinct\" to denote the degree of\nMentation of the lower animal. The writer does not object to the word;\nin fact, he shall use it for the sake of distinguishing between the\nseveral mental states. But, remember, \"Instinct\" is but a term used to\ndenote a lesser form of \"Reason\"--and the \"Instinct\" of the horse or dog\nis a fine thing when we consider the \"Reason\" of the Bushman or Digger\nIndian. However, we shall not quarrel about words. Both \"Reason\" and\n\"Instinct\" mean degrees or forms of \"Mentation,\" the word we are using.\nThe lower forms of animal life exhibit Mentation along the lines of\nsex-action; feeling and taste. Then by degrees come smell, hearing and\nsight. And then something very like \"reasoning\" in the case of the dog,\nelephant, horse, etc. Mentation everywhere in the animal kingdom, in\nsome degree. No doubt about Life and Mentation, there.\n\nBut what about Mentation and Life in the plant life? All of you admit\nthat there is \"Life\" there--but about Mentation, well, let us see! Some\nof you draw the line at the word \"Mind\" in connection with plants,\nalthough you freely admit the existence of \"Life\" there. Well, remember\nour axiom--\"no Life without Mentation.\" Let us try to apply it.\n\nA moment's reflection will give you instances of Mentation among the\nplants. Science has called it \"Appetency,\" rather than admit \"Mind,\" the\nword \"Appetency\" being defined as \"an instinctive tendency on the part\nof low forms of organic life to perform certain acts necessary for their\nwell-being--such as to select and absorb such particles of matter as\nserve to support and nourish them.\" Well, that looks like a degree of\nMentation, doesn't it? Many young animals evidence little or nothing\nmore than \"Appetency\" in suckling. We shall adopt the word \"Appetency\"\nto designate the Mentation in plant-life. Remember this, please.\n\nAnyone who has raised trees or plants has noticed the instinctive\nefforts of the plant to reach the water and sunlight. Potatoes in dark\ncellars have been known to send forth shoots twenty feet in length in\norder to reach an opening in the wall. Plants have been known to bend\nover during the night and dip their leaves in a pot of water several\ninches away. The tendrils of climbing plants seek for the stake or\nsupport, and find it, too, although it has been changed daily. The\ntendril will retwine itself, after it has been untwisted and bent in\nanother direction. The tips of the roots of the tree are said to show a\nsensitiveness almost akin to that of the limb of an animal, and\nevidently possess something akin to nerve matter.\n\nDuhamel placed some beans in a cylinder of moist earth. When they began\nto sprout, he turned the cylinder around quarter way of its\ncircumference; then a little more the next day; and so on, a little each\nday, until the cylinder had described a complete revolution--had been\nturned completely around. Then the beans were taken from the earth, and\nlo! the roots and sprouts formed a complete spiral. With every turn of\nthe cylinder the roots and sprouts had changed their position and\ndirection--the roots striving to grow \"downward,\" and the sprouts\nstriving to grow \"upward\"--until the spiral had formed. Akin to this is\nthe boy's trick of uprooting a sprouting seed, and replanting it upside\ndown, in which case the sprouts begin to turn a semicircle until it is\nable to grow straight up to the surface of the earth, while the roots\ndescribe a semicircle until they can grow downward once more.\n\nAnd so on, story after story of \"Appetency\" or Mentation in plants might\nbe told, until we reach the insect-catching species, when even the most\nconservative observer is forced to admit that: \"Well, it does _almost_\nseem like thinking, doesn't it?\" Any lover of plants, flowers or trees,\nand who has been able to study them at first hand, does not need much\nargument to prove that plant-life exhibits traces of Mentation, some of\nit pretty far advanced, too. Some lovers of plants go so far as to claim\nthat one must \"love\" plants before they will succeed in growing them,\nand that the plants feel and respond to the feeling. But the writer does\nnot insist upon this, but merely mentions it in passing.\n\nBefore leaving the subject of Mentation in plants, the writer is tempted\nto steal a little more space and tell you that plants do more than\nreceive sensations of light and moisture. They exhibit rudimentary taste\nas well. Haeckel relates an interesting story of an insect-catching\nplant. He states that while it will bend its leaves when any solid body\n(excepting a raindrop) touches its surface, still it will secrete its\nacrid digestive fluid only when that object happens to be nitrogenous\n(meat or cheese). The plant is able to distinguish its meat diet (its\nfood being insectivorous), and while it will supply its gastric juice\nfor meat and cheese, as well as for the insect, it will not do so for\nother solids to which it is indifferent. He also mentions the fact that\nroots of trees and plants are able to taste the different qualities of\nsoil, and will avoid poor soil and plunge into the richer parts of the\nearth. The sexual organism and life of plants also affords a great field\nfor study to the student hunting for evidences of \"life\" and \"Mentation\"\nin that kingdom.\n\nThe motion or circulation of the sap in trees and plants was formerly\nconsidered to be due to capillary attraction and purely \"mechanical\nlaws,\" but recent scientific experiments have shown it to be a vital\naction--an evidence of life and Mentation--the experiments having\nproven that if the cell-substance of the plant was poisoned or\nparalyzed, the circulation of sap immediately ceased, although the\n\"mechanical principles\" had not been interfered with in the least.\n\nAnd now on to the mineral kingdom. \"What,\" you may cry, \"Mind and\nMentation in the mineral and chemical world--surely not?\" Yes, even in\nthese low planes may be found traces of mental action. There is Life\neverywhere--even there. And where there is Life there is Mind. Away back\namong the chemical principles, and the minerals we may go in our search\nfor Life and Mind--they cannot escape us--even there!\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER IV\n\nLIFE AND MIND AMONG THE ATOMS\n\n\nTo the majority of persons the title of this chapter would seem an\nabsurdity. Not to speak of Inorganic \"Mind,\" the idea of \"Life\" in the\nInorganic World would seem a ridiculous paradox to the \"man on the\nstreet\" who thinks of Substance as \"dead,\" lifeless and inert. And, to\ntell the truth, even Science has held this view until a comparatively\nrecent period, laughing to scorn the old Occult Teaching that the\nUniverse is Alive, and capable of Thinking. But the recent discoveries\nof modern Science has changed all this, and we no longer hear Science\nspeaking of \"dead Matter\" or \"blind Force\"--it recognizes that these\nterms are meaningless, and that the dreams of the old Occultists are\ncoming true. Science confronts a live and thinking Universe. She is\ndazzled by the sight, and would shade her eyes, fearing to see that\nwhich she feels must present itself to her vision when her eyes become\naccustomed to the sight.\n\nBut a few daring minds among the scientific investigators are dreaming\nwonderful dreams to-day, and they tell us in broken tones of the\nwonderful visions that are passing before their sight. They dare not\ntell it all, for they fear the ridicule of their fellows. Their visions\nare of Life--Universal Life. In its investigations of the Material,\nScience has penetrated so far into the recesses of Things that its most\nadvanced thinkers and investigators now find themselves standing in the\npresence of the Immaterial.\n\nScience to-day is proclaiming the new doctrine--that is the same as the\n\"old\" doctrine of the Occultists--the doctrine of \"Life\nEverywhere\"--Life even in the hardest rock!\n\nBefore entering into our consideration of the evidence of Mentation in\nthe Inorganic world, let us accustom ourselves to the idea of \"something\nlike Life\" being found there. It will be better for us to approach the\nsubject by easy stages. Where there is Life there must be Mind--so let\nus first look for evidences of Life.\n\nThe \"man on the street\" would require something more tangible than\nscientific explanations of \"sensation,\" \"attraction,\" etc. What can we\noffer him as an illustration? Let us see!\n\nSuppose we call the attention of \"the man\" to the fact that metals get\ntired after considerable work without periods of rest. Science calls\nthis the \"fatigue of elasticity.\" When the metals are given rest, they\nrecuperate and regain their former elasticity and health. \"The man\" may\nremember that his razor acts this way occasionally--and if he talks the\nmatter over with his barber, his suspicions will be verified.\n\nThen, if he consults a musician friend, he will be informed that\ntuning-forks also become tired, and lose their vibrating quality, until\nthey are given a rest. Then his machinist friend will tell him that\nmachinery in factories must be given a rest, occasionally, else it will\nbegin to disintegrate and \"die.\" Machinery will go on a strike for a\nrest, if it is overworked.\n\nThen metals contract disease. Science informs us that zinc and tin have\nbeen infected, and the infection has spread from sheet to sheet\ncrumbling the metal into powder--the spread of the infection resembling\nthe spread of a plague among animals or plant-life. Science has\nexperimented with copper and iron, and has found that these metals may\nbe poisoned with chemicals, and will remain in a weakened condition\nuntil antidotes are administered. Window-glass workers declare that\nthere is such a thing as \"glass-disease,\" that will ruin fine stained\nglass windows unless the infected panes are removed. The \"glass-disease\"\nstarts with one pane, and spreads gradually to the entire window, and\nfrom there to other windows.\n\nMetallurgists have found that when metallic ores are put under certain\nforms of pressure, they seem to lose strength, and become weak until the\npressure is removed.\n\nDo these things mean anything to the \"Man of the Street?\"\n\nAnother step in the consideration of Life in the Inorganic world, is the\nrealization of the fact that, after all, there is but the very finest\nline separating the higher forms of Mineral \"life,\" from the lower forms\nof vegetable life, or the life of those \"Things\" which we may call\neither plants or animals. The \"Life-line\" is being pushed further back\nevery day, by scientific investigation, and the \"living\" thing of today\nwas the \"inanimate\" thing of yesterday. We hear much talk in the\nnewspapers about some scientist, or another, \"discovering life,\" or\n\"creating life,\" in some \"inanimate substance.\" Bless your hearts, you\nwho are alarmed by these reports--no one can \"create\" life in anything,\nfor it already exists there. The \"discovery\" is simply the realization\nof this fact.\n\nScience, by means of the microscope, has brought to light forms of\n\"living things,\" resembling in appearance the fine dust of inorganic\nminerals. These low forms of life exhibit but the simplest vital\nprocesses, the same very closely resembling chemical processes, although\njust a shade higher in the scale. Living creatures have been found which\ncould be dried and laid aside like dust for several years, and then\nrevived by being immersed in water, when they would resume their vital\nprocess as if they had been awakened from a sleep. Forms of life, called\n\"Baccilli\" have been discovered that can pass through degrees of heat\nand cold that can be expressed only by vague symbols or figures, the\nheat and cold being so intense that the unscientific mind cannot imagine\nit.\n\nIn appearance the \"Diatoms\" resemble the chemical crystals. These\n\"Diatoms\" are minute one-celled living \"Things,\" having a hard but thin\nsiliceous covering or shell, of extreme delicacy. They are what are\nknown as \"microscopic\" creatures--that is, visible only through the\nmicroscope. Some of them are so small that it would take a thousand or\nmore to cover the head of a pin. But, remember this--the microscope\nreveals them as \"living creatures\" performing vital functions. They are\nfound in the deep waters of the ocean. To the naked eye they appear\nlike fine sand or \"dirt,\" but under the most powerful microscope, they\nare seen to comprise many species and varieties, exhibiting many\npeculiar shapes and forms--in fact, they have been called \"living\ngeometrical forms,\" their shapes and appearances almost exactly\nresembling those of the chemical and mineral crystals.\n\nScience informs us that these and similar microscopic creatures, number\nthousands of families or species,--and it is thought that the varieties\nof microscopic creatures outnumber the varieties of creatures visible to\nthe unaided sight. And, remember, that there is probably a still greater\nworld of \"sub-microscopic\" creatures, that is a world invisible even\nwhen the most powerful microscope is used. Who knows what wonders are to\nbe found there--what forms of creatures live, and move and have their\nbeing there.\n\nIn passing by the subject of the resemblance between the outward forms\nof living things and the crystals, it is interesting to note how the\ncrystals of frost and ice resemble the forms of leaves, branches,\nflowers, foliage, etc.--the pane of glass covered with these frosty\nforms, resembles a garden. The disk of saltpeter, under the effect of\npolarized light, very closely resembles the form of the orchid.\n\nRecent scientific experiments have shown that certain metallic salts,\nwhen subjected to a galvanic current, group themselves around one of the\npoles of the battery, and assume a mushroom-like shape and appearance.\nAt first, they seem to be transparent, but gradually they assume color,\nthe top becoming a bright red, with the under-side showing a pale rose\ncolor, the stem being of a pale straw color. The discoverers of these\npeculiar forms, called them by the German equivalent for \"inorganic\nmushrooms,\" but even this term seems scarcely worthy of them, for they\neven show a trace of something like organs. Under the microscope they\nare seen to have fine canals or vein-like channels running through their\nstems, from top to base. And through these \"veins\" the \"thing\" absorbed\nfresh material and actually \"grew\" like low forms of fungus-life. Were\nthese things merely minerals or chemical-substances, or were they low\nforms of organic life? The lines between the Inorganic and the Organic\nare being wiped out rapidly. The Supreme Power that _caused_ Life to Be,\ncaused it to All, and did not divide Its manifestations into Dead-Things\nand Live-Things, but breathed into all the Breath of Life. And the more\nclearly we see the actual evidence of this, the greater does that\nSupreme Power seem to us.\n\nA very low form of living creatures called the Monera, is held by\nScience to be the one of the strands of the connecting link between the\norganic and inorganic worlds. The Monera are the lowest and simplest\nform (at least so far known) of organic life. They may be said to be\n\"organic\" creatures _without organs_--being but little more than simple\ncells--tiny globules of plasm, surrounded by a thin membrane--their sole\nvital function being the absorption of nourishment through the pores of\ntheir covering (just as a piece of chalk would absorb water) and the\nconsequent conversion of the nourishment into material for growth, the\nwhole process resembling chemical action. The Monera reproduce their\nkind simply by cleavage or separation of the substance of the mother\ncell into two, and so on, being little more than the \"growth\" of\ncrystals. The Monera are everywhere recognized, without question, as\n\"living creatures,\" but they exhibit merely a trace more of life than do\ncertain forms of crystals.\n\nThe difficulty in considering crystals as \"living things\" is partially\ndue to the outward form and substance, so different from the form and\nsubstance of the higher \"living things.\" But we have seen that the\nDiatoms took on shapes of crystals, and that the outer shell or covering\nwas similar to silicia, a mineral, the inner substance being but a tiny\nspeck of plasm, similar to that of the substance of a plant cell. And\nthen we may look to the tiny bit of chalk dust which was once the\nskeleton-form of a living creature. The same is true of coral. In the\nvery low forms of life, the skeleton, or form, is the thing most\napparent, the plasm of \"living substance\" being still smaller, and less\napparent. And yet, the skeleton, or shell, was formed by the vital\nprocesses of the creature, and was a part of its \"body,\" just as is the\nskeleton or bony structure of the higher animals. And, in the same sense\nit is \"living substance.\" And, remember, that there is but little\ndifference between these \"bodies\" of the low forms of life, and the\nbodies of crystals. And the chemical constituents of its plasmic inner\nbody is but slightly different from that of the crystals. And its nature\nand vital process are by a shade higher in the scale than those of the\ncrystals.\n\nYou may ask why we have said so much of Crystals. The reason is just\nthis--Science has begun to think of Crystals as semi-living things, and\nits most advanced investigators and thinkers go further and assert that\n\"the Crystals are alive--Crystallization is an evidence of life\nprocess.\"\n\nCrystals arrange themselves in well-known and well-defined shapes,\ndirection and order of formation being observed implicitly. Each crystal\nfollows the laws and habits of its kind, just as do plants and animals.\nIts lines of crystallization are mathematically perfect, and according\nto the laws of its being. Not only this, but some substances have a\nrange of six or seven different forms of crystal-forms possible to them.\nIn some cases a chemical element assumes one form of crystallization\nwhen it manifests as one mineral, and a second form when it manifests in\nanother form--in each case however, it manifests along well-known and\nrecognized courses of action, movement, and shapes.\n\nCrystals may be \"killed\" by a strong electrical discharge--that is, they\nare so affected that they disintegrate, their atoms separating to form\nnew combinations, just as is the case with the \"bodies\" of higher forms\nof life. Some scientists have gone so far as to claim that they had\ndiscovered something akin to rudimentary sex-action in certain crystals,\nresembling the sex-process of the lowest plant-life. But this has not,\nas yet, been positively established, although it seems probable and\nreasonable. A recent writer in one of the magazines has said,\n\"Crystallization, as we are to learn now, is not a mere mechanical\ngrouping of dead atoms. It is a birth.\" This may seem mere \"scientific\npoetry\" until the process of crystallization is carefully studied, when\nit will be seen to give evidence, not only of something like vital and\nmental action, but also something very much like reproductive\nfunctioning of the lower forms of \"life.\"\n\nThere is an \"assimilation\" of material to build up the crystal in the\nfirst place, just as an animal assimilates matter to build up its\nshell--or a tree to form its bark. The \"form\" of the crystal is truly\nits \"body,\" and behind and _in that body there is \"something at work\"\nthat is not the body, but which is forming it_. And, later on, that\ncrystal increases in size, and then begins to separate into two,\nthrowing off a smaller crystal, identical in form with the parent\ncrystal. This manner of reproduction is almost identical with the\nprocess of reproduction in the lower forms of \"life,\" which consist\nmerely of a like separation of the parent form into two, and the\nthrowing off of the offspring.\n\nThe principal difference between the growth of crystals and of the\nMonera, is that the Crystals grow by absorbing fresh matter and\nattaching it to their outer surface, while the Monera grow by absorbing\nfresh material and growing outwardly, from within. But this may be\naccounted for by the difference in the density of their bodies, the\nCrystal being very solid, while the Monera is like a thin jelly. If the\nCrystal had a soft interior, it could grow like the Monera or Diatom,\n_but then it would be a Diatom_.\n\nThe process of crystallization is accountable only by the theory that in\nthe crystal there exists something like life and Mentation. There is\nsomething more than mere \"mechanical motion,\" or blind chance at work\nhere. Does not the process of crystallization look like rudimentary\npurposive action? It may be said that it is movement and action in\naccordance with some established \"Law of Nature\"--granted, but is not\nthat also true of the physical processes and growth of higher forms of\nlife? Is the forming of the Crystal-form to be considered as a\n\"mechanical effect,\" and the forming of the \"shell\" of the Monera to be\nconsidered a \"mental and vital action?\" If so, wherefore?\n\nThe point is that Crystals act as if they are \"alive,\" and capable of\nassimilation, growth, and reproduction, in a manner and degree\ndiffering but very slightly from corresponding functioning of the lower\nforms of \"life.\" Verily the Crystals are \"alive\"--and if alive they must\nhave at least a trace of \"Mind.\" Does it not appear that they exhibit\nsomething very like both? Quoting from a recent writer, let us notice\nthat: \"Recent investigations in the new department of science, which has\nbeen termed 'plasmology,' show in crystals phenomena which are\nabsolutely analogous to vital phenomena--so much so that photographs of\ncertain forms produced in the changes of crystals appear to be almost\nexact duplicates of those in the various lower forms of microbes. The\nquestion has been raised as to whether the microbe is no more alive than\nthe crystal, or the latter equally endowed with life as is the former.\"\n\nAnd now another step, in our search for Life. Remember, that the hardest\nrocks are composed of crystals of certain kinds. And, if the higher\ncrystals have Life, then it is only fair to suppose that the lower and\ncruder forms are likewise endowed, even if in a still lower degree. And\nif all crystals are endowed with Life, then the most solid rocks, being\ncomposed of aggregations of crystals must be masses of Inorganic\nLife--and consequently, of Inorganic Mind. A Crystal, according to\nWebster, is \"the regular form, bounded by plane surfaces, which a\nsubstance tends to assume in solidifying, through the inherent powers of\ncohesive attraction.\"\n\nThat definition of Webster tells the whole story, and we see that a\n\"Crystal\" is merely a \"regular form\" of a \"Substance,\" which the\nsubstance \"tends to assume in solidifying\"--that is in re-assuming a\nsolid form after being in a liquid or melted state, and that is just\nwhat all the rocks of the earth did when they emerged from the melted\nstate in which they existed in the early days of the world's history.\nAnd this \"tendency\" that caused them to solidify, and assume certain\ncrystal forms, and which must have existed potentially through the\nmelted state--what of that, what is this \"tendency\" or force. The\ndefinition answers: \"_the inherent powers of cohesive attraction_.\"\n\nSo, here is \"Cohesive Attraction,\" that we shall consider fully in\nforthcoming chapters of this book. \"Inherent,\" too, the definition says.\nWhat is \"Inherent?\" Let us see, Webster defines \"Inherent\" as\n\"permanently existing.\" So this power of Cohesive Attraction\n\"permanently existed\" in the Substance or else in connection with it.\nLet us take another look at Cohesive Attraction.\n\nCohesive Attraction is that form of Universal Attraction that causes the\nMolecules of a body to draw together--that \"invisible power of\" the\nMolecule, by which it draws another Molecule toward itself, and itself\ntoward the other, the manifestation of which power by several Molecules\ntends to draw each of them together. (We shall learn of these particles\nof Substance called Molecules before long.) It is a primal cause of\nMotion, this mutual Attraction, and drawing-power. Now is it reasonable\nto suppose that this wonderful \"power\" is a mere blind-force? Is it not\nmore reasonable to think of it as a form of vital-action--life-action?\n\"Dead\" things could not manifest this force and action.\n\nAnd if this Cohesive Attraction is an evidence of Life, then all\nsubstance must have Life manifesting through it. Not only the rocks, but\nthe soil and earth and dirt, for they are but crumbled rock.\n\nAnd, when we thus consider Substance, as being the \"body\" through which\nLife is Manifesting, we must not lose sight of the Molecules and Atoms,\nin our consideration of the Mass. A bit of rock; crystal; or dirt; is\nbut an aggregation of countless Molecules, grouped together in certain\ncrystallized shapes and forms, each having characteristics of its own.\nThese Molecules cling together, in accordance with their mutual\nAttractive powers.\n\nAnd each of these Molecules is composed of a number of Atoms, which\ncling together in accordance with Chemical Affinity, or Chemism--but\nwhich is but another name for Attraction, or Cohesion--and which form a\nlittle family, called a Molecule. And these Atoms are composed of\nCorpuscles. We will waive the consideration of the Corpuscle, for the\nmoment, but even if we consider it, we only carry the subject back a\nstep farther. What we wish to say, could be said even if there were ten\nfurther divisions of Substance--or a million, for that matter.\n\nThe point we wish you to consider now, is that we must separate the Mass\ninto its constituents--its Molecules, Atoms, and even Corpuscles--in our\nsearch for the Life in the Mineral and Chemical World. If there is Life\nin the Mass, there must be life in the Molecule, Atom, or Corpuscle.\nNow, do we find it there? Certainly, for the tiniest Atom manifests its\nAttractive Power, and not only does it draw other atoms to itself by\nvirtue thereof, but it even goes a step further, and shows a\n\"preference\"--a degree of \"liking\" in its mutual relations with other\natoms.\n\nWe shall see, in future chapters, that there is \"desire,\" \"love,\"\n\"marriage,\" and \"divorce\" among the chemical Atoms. We shall consider\nthe flirtations, and love-affairs of certain Atoms. We shall see how an\nAtom will leave another, and fly to a new charmer. We shall have many\nevidences of _the Atom's power to receive sensations, and to respond to\nthe same_. Nothing \"dead\" about this, is there? The Atom is \"very much\nalive.\" The Attraction; Affinity; and Motions, of the Atom, give a\ncertain evidence of something \"very much like Life,\" as we see it in\nhigher forms. In the Atom exists all the Life that causes\ncrystallization. And in the Atom lies that which causes Force and Motion\nto manifest. Verily, the Atom lives and moves and has its being.\n\nAnd, so our journey is ended--we have traced Life to its last stages of\nmanifestations--and we have found it there, and at each step of the\njourney. But, stop, we have not completed our journey--we have but begun\nit. \"Why,\" some of us may cry, \"how can we go back of the Atom, or\nElectron?\" The answer is \"INTO THE ETHER\"!\n\nYes, back of the Atom and the Corpuscle, is said by Science to lie that\nwonderful, paradoxical Something they call The Universal Ether--that\nSomething that Science has considered the Womb of Matter and\nForce--Something that is different from Anything ever known or dreamed\nof by Man,--that Something which Science has labored so diligently to\nbuild up, and which it has used as an \"explanation\" for so much\nphenomena, but regarding which, of very recent date, there has begun to\ngrow a distrust and a suspicion, owing to the discovery of Radiant\nMatter, and things that followed in its train. But, notwithstanding\nthese shadowy suspicions, Science still asserts in belief in the\nconstancy and integrity of The Ether, and it behooves us to investigate\nthat wonderful region in which it dwells, in order to see whether Life\nand Mind are also to be found there. We think that, in the words of the\nstreet, we shall find that they are \"very much there.\"\n\nAnd, so in later chapters of this book, we shall consider the Etherial\nRegion very fully. But before doing so, we had better give Substance and\nMotion, in all their forms, a careful consideration, for a correct\nunderstanding of them is vitally necessary for an intelligent conception\nof the ideas underlying the philosophy to be herein set forth.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nNow, pray do not leave this chapter with the belief that the writer has\nsaid that the Particles of Inorganic Substance are endowed with\nConscious reasoning powers. Nothing of the kind has been said--nothing\nof the kind is meant. The Life and Mind evidenced in the Particles are\nbut the faintest glimmerings. There is no sign of \"consciousness\" or\n\"reasoning\"--the Mind exhibited is less than that of the plant, yes,\nless than even that of the cell of the plant. The Life is evidenced by\npower to move, and the Mind is evidenced by the ability to receive\nimpressions and to respond to the same by evidencing Force and movement.\n\nThere is no evidence of \"consciousness\" or \"understanding\" in these\nmental processes. Consciousness is not an essential attribute of Life or\nMind-action. In fact, but a small part of even the Mentation of Man is\nperformed in the field of consciousness. Nearly all of his bodily\nfunctions are beneath the field of consciousness--one does not\nconsciously regulate the beating of his heart; the circulation of his\nblood; the digestion and assimilation of his food; the tearing-down and\nbuilding-up work of the cells; the work of the organs, etc., etc. Yes,\nthese processes are all mental processes, and far from mere \"mechanical\nmovements,\" or chemical processes, as some imagine. Let the spark of\nLife leave the body, and the processes stop, although all the chemicals\nare still there, and the \"mechanical movements\" might go on unhindered.\n\nThe Particles of Substance have enough Life and Mind to enable them to\nmove, receive and respond to impressions, and to exert force in\naccordance with the Law of Attraction--but there it stops. The Crystals\nshow signs of something like taking nourishment, but the real taking of\nfood may be said to commence with the Monera. Not until very high\ndegrees of Life and Mind are attained, do \"creatures\" begin to exhibit\nConsciousness, and that which is called \"Understanding\" is still higher\nin the scale, and not until Man is reached does the faculty of turning\nthe mental searchlight _inward_ manifest itself. These matters are\nmentioned here merely to prevent misunderstanding and misapprehension.\n\nBut still, do not forget--the Particles of Substance receive impressions\nand respond thereto--they _act_ and exert Force and Energy--they\nmanifest Life and Mentation.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER V\n\nTHE STORY OF SUBSTANCE\n\n\nAs we stated in a former chapter, there are two Aspects of All-Things,\n_viz._, (1) Substance; (2) Mind. In this and the following two chapters\nwe shall consider the first one, Substance, which Science calls\n\"Matter.\"\n\nPerhaps it would be as well to begin by asking ourselves the question:\n\"What is Substance?\" The answer seems to be: \"Anything that takes up\nroom; the Body aspect of Things; matter occupying space, etc.\" Some\nwriters have spoken of Substance as \"something tangible--that can be\nfelt,\" but this definition will not do, for there are forms of Substance\ntoo fine to be felt. And so, perhaps the definition \"The Body of\nThings,\" is as good a definition as any, taken in connection with the\nthought that it \"takes up room.\"\n\nScience divides Substance (which it calls \"Matter\") into four general\nclasses, _viz._: (1) _Solid Matter_, which is Substance, the parts of\nwhich closely adhere and resist impression, such as stone, wood, flesh,\netc., the degrees of solidity varying greatly, and sometimes shading\ninto the next class, which is called:\n\n(2) _Liquid Matter_, which may be described as Substance, the parts of\nwhich have a free motion among themselves, and easily yield to\nimpression, such as water, molasses, etc., the degree of fluidity\nranging from some liquids that flow very slowly, such as hot pitch, up\nto others that flow very freely, such as water, wine, etc., the property\nof fluidity being also shared by the next higher class, which is called:\n\n(3) _Aeriform Matter_, which is Substance in the form of \"elastic\nfluid,\" such as air, gas, vapor, etc.; and\n\n(4) _Radiant Matter_, which is of recent recognition, and which is an\nultra-gaseous form of Substance, utterly unlike anything ever before\nknown, consisting of the tiniest particles of \"corpuscles\" of Substance\nfiner and more subtle than the rarest form of atomic substance known to\nScience.\n\nThe three classes are well represented by (1) Earth (solid); (2) Water\n(liquid); (3) Air (aeriform); (4) The Corpuscles or Electrons, or\nparticles of electrified substance, first noticed in connection with the\nX Rays, Radium, etc.\n\nBut it must be remembered that these four classes of Substance are not\nfixed or permanent--on the contrary they are changeable either under\npressure, when subjected to heat, or under the influence of electricity,\netc. In fact the word \"condition\" is more applicable than the term\n\"class.\" The condition or class of a particle of Substance may be\nchanged into another class or condition by the application of the\nagencies above named. The same substance may exist in two or three\nclasses, under different circumstances. Solids may be changed into\nliquids, and liquids into gases, and _vice versa_. Metals may be melted,\nthen changed into gas, according to the degree of heat applied. Liquids\nmay be changed into vapor by the application of heat, or into solids by\nthe withdrawal of heat.\n\nFor an example we may turn to Water, which is a solid in the condition\nof ice; a liquid in the condition of water; and steam in the condition\nof vapor. Quicksilver is a metal which is in a liquid condition in our\nordinary temperature, but which becomes a solid when subjected to a very\nlow degree of temperature, and may be transformed into a gas, under a\nhigh degree of heat. Air is a vapor in our ordinary temperature, but has\nbeen transformed into \"liquid air\" under tremendous pressure, which\nproduced a very low degree of temperature, and, theoretically, it may be\ntransformed into a solid under a sufficiently low degree of\ntemperature, although so far, Science has not been able to produce a\ndegree of cold sufficient to \"freeze\" the liquid air. It is all a matter\nof \"freeze,\" \"melt,\" and \"evaporate,\" in all forms of Substance--and any\nsubstance, at least theoretically, is capable of being subjected to any\nof the three conditions just named, and being manifested in the\nrespective conditions, of Solid, Liquid, and Aeriform.\n\nThis may actually be accomplished with the majority of substances at\nthis time, although in some instances we are not able to produce a\nsufficiently high temperature to \"melt and evaporate\" certain solid\nsubstances, on the one hand, or a sufficiently low degree of temperature\nto \"liquify\" or \"freeze solid\" certain vapors. But the intense heat of\nthe centre of the earth is able to melt rocks, and show them as liquid\nlava flowing from volcanoes, and Science teaches that the solid\nSubstance of the Earth, and other planets, suns, etc., existed in the\nshape of a vapor at one time, and would again take on that condition in\ncase of a collision with another great body, which convert motion into\nintense heat that would first melt, and then vaporize every solid\nparticle of which the earth is composed.\n\nIf the sun's heat were completely to die out, the cold would be so\nintense that the air around the earth, and all the gases and vapors,\nwould be frozen to solids. In physics the term \"gas\" is generally\napplied to a substance that is aeriform in our ordinary temperature, but\nwhich may be liquefied in a low temperature; the term \"vapor\" being\ngenerally applied to the aeriform condition of substances that are solid\nor liquid in our ordinary temperatures, but which may be \"evaporated\" by\nheat, and thus transformed into an aeriform condition, resuming their\noriginal form upon cooling. These terms, however, are technical, and\npractically there is no difference between a gas and a vapor.\n\nIn the above statements regarding the possibility of the transformation\nof each of the several forms of Substance, into other forms, the\nreference has been applied only to the three better known forms, _i.e._,\nSolid, Liquid and Aeriform. The fourth form or state of Substance, known\nas Radiant Matter, is of too recent discovery to admit of its properties\nbeing accurately observed. The best and latest opinion of Science,\nhowever, is that it constitutes what may be called \"Primal Matter\"--that\nis substance from which all other forms, states, kinds and varieties of\nSubstance arise--the \"stuff\" from which they are manufactured. Science\nseems to be discarding the Ether theory of the Origin of Matter, in\nfavor of this \"Primal Matter.\"\n\nPhysical Science divides Substance into Masses, Molecules, and\nAtoms--that is, the old Physical Science did, but the later\ninvestigators now see that even the Atom may be sub-divided. But the old\nterms may as well be used, at least for the time being. Let us consider\nthese divisions.\n\n_A \"Mass\"_ is a quantity of Substance considered as a whole--but which\nis composed of a collection or combination of parts (molecules.) A lump\nof coal; a piece of iron; a portion of meat, even a drop of water, is a\nMass. The only requisite for a Mass, is that it contains two or more\nparts or molecules. Therefore a Mass is a collection or combination of\ntwo or more molecules, considered as a whole.\n\n_A \"Molecule\"_ is the _physical_ unit of Substance, or, in other words,\nthe smallest part of any kind of Substance that can exist by itself and\nstill remain that particular \"kind\" of substance. (But not the smallest\nchemical part--the latter is called an Atom, and Atoms combine to form a\nMolecule.) The Molecule exists as a unit, and cannot be split or\nseparated by physical means, although it may be separated into Atoms by\nchemical means. In order that we may form a clear idea of the Molecule,\nlet us take a very small Mass of Matter--a drop of water, for instance.\nThis drop of water is a Mass composed of a great number of molecules. It\nmay be divided, and sub-divided, into smaller and still smaller parts.\nThis division may be carried on until it reaches a point where our sight\nand instruments are unable to make a further sub-division.\n\nBut, theoretically, the work may be carried on still further, until at\nlast a limit is reached where we are unable to divide the water into any\nsmaller parts, without separating its chemical constituents from each\nother, in which latter case there would be no water at all, its chemical\nconstituents (or Atoms) having separated and now appearing as two atoms\nof Hydrogen and one atom of Oxygen, separated and apart and no longer\nforming a molecule of water.\n\nWell, this smallest possible part of water (or any other form of\nSubstance) is a Molecule. Remember the Molecule is the smallest part of\nthat kind of Substance that can be produced by division and\nsub-division, without destroying the \"kind\" of the Substance. It is the\nsmallest part of any kind of Substance that can exist by itself, and\nmaintain its \"kind.\"\n\nIn order that you may grasp the minuteness of the Molecule, we may\nmention that Science claims that no molecule, even the largest, is of\nsufficient magnitude to be seen under even the strongest microscope. It\nhas been calculated that if a drop of water as large as a pea were\nmagnified to the size of the Earth, the molecules would then appear no\nlarger than the original drop. The space between the molecules is\nbelieved to be considerably larger than the molecules themselves.\n\nThe figures that are necessary to use in connection with molecular\nSubstance are likely to stagger the imagination. Besides speaking of the\nmolecules of inorganic Substance, it may be interesting to note that a\nspider's thread is so fine that a piece of it large enough to circle the\nearth would weigh only half a pound. And yet each thread is composed of\nsix thousand filaments. And each of these minute filaments may be\ndivided into tiny bits, and each bit will still be a Mass of Substance\ncontaining thousands of molecules and their constituent chemical atoms.\nThere are living, microscopic creatures, so small that five millions of\nthem might be crowded into a space the size of a pin head. And yet each\nof them have organs. And in these organs fluids circulate. Try to figure\nout the size of the molecules of the fluids circulating in these tiny\norgans, not to speak of the chemical atoms.\n\nWhen you handle a coin, an infinitesimal portion of it is worn off--can\nyou figure the size of the molecules composing that part? When a rose\nthrows off its perfume, it emanates tiny particles of itself--can you\nmeasure or weigh the molecules composing that odor? The human mind is\ncompelled to realize its finiteness when it considers these things--but\nwe have only just begun to consider the smallness of Things.\n\n_An \"Atom\"_ is the _chemical_ unit of Substance--that is, the smallest\nchemical part that can enter into combination. It has been considered\nindivisible--that is, incapable of further sub-division. That is, it has\nbeen so considered, until very recently, but the latest discoveries have\nexploded this idea, and have shown the Atom is composed of certain other\nThings, as we shall see a little later on. Still we may use the Atom as\na very good unit of measurement, for it still represents the unit of\n_chemical_ Substance, just as the molecule is the unit of _physical_\nSubstance. In order that you may understand the difference between\nMolecules and Atoms--physical units, and chemical units, let us give you\na few examples.\n\nTake a molecule of water--the _physical_ unit, you remember. When it is\nchemically separated or analyzed, it is found to contain two atoms of\nhydrogen, and one atom of oxygen--both chemical units, remember--which\nwhen united and combined, form water, but which when separated are\nsimple atoms of certain chemical gases. The proportion in water is\nalways the same, two of hydrogen and one of oxygen--this is the only\npartnership that will form water. The molecule of table salt contains\none atom of sodium and one of chlorine. The molecule of air contains\nfive chemical gases, of which nitrogen and oxygen are the principal\nones, the proportion being about three parts of nitrogen to one of\noxygen. Some molecules are far more complex, for instance the molecule\nof sugar is composed of _forty-five_ chemical atoms, and sulphuric acid\nof seven. An atom is estimated at one-250,000,000th of an inch in\ndiameter.\n\nBut this is not all. The old theory of the finality, and ultimateness of\nthe Atom has been shattered by the recent discoveries of Science. The\natom of Hydrogen was formerly considered to be the refinement of\nSubstance--the Ultimate Atom--the smallest and finest Atom possible or\nknown--the last thing that could be imagined about Substance. Some even\nwent so far as to declare that the Atom of Hydrogen was the Ultimate\nElement, that is the Element out of which all other atoms were\nmade--the mother of Atoms--the Origin of Substance. It was supposed\nthat all other Atoms of Matter were composed of a varying number of\nhydrogen Atoms, which themselves were \"vortex-rings in the Ether\"--and\nthat analysis could go no further. Science rested on its oars, and\npronounced the work of a century completed.\n\nBut alas! no sooner was this position reached, than the discovery of\nRadiant Matter and the formulation of the \"Corpuscle Theory\" brought\ndown the whole theoretical structure, and Science was compelled to take\nup the hunt again, and to probe further into the inner recesses of\nThings for the Ultimate Thing. But, nevertheless, Atoms still exist,\nalthough their finality is no longer urged. The facts remain, although\nthe theory has fallen.\n\nLet us see about this latest theory--the Corpuscle or Electron Theory.\nThe discovery of Radiant Matter, and the investigation of the late\ndiscovery of Radium, has led to the further discovery that each Atom,\ninstead of being a \"thing-in-itself\" is a little mass containing\nnumerous other \"Things\" called \"Corpuscles\" (or \"Electrons,\" because\nelectrified). The theory is this, briefly: That each Atom is a minute\nmass of Substance containing a number of \"electrified particles,\" which\nare known as Electrons, in constant motion and vibration, revolving\naround each other, as do the planets, suns, and moons of the\nUniverse--in fact each chemical Atom is like unto a Universe in itself.\nThe simplest Atom--that which was supposed to be the \"Ultimate\nAtom\"--the Atom of Hydrogen--is supposed to contain within its tiny self\nno less than 1,000 minute Corpuscles, which because electrified are\ncalled \"Electron,\" revolving in fixed and regular orbits within the\ncontaining globe of the Atom. The more complex forms of Atoms are\nsupposed to contain a far greater number of Electrons, the authorities\nestimating those in an Atom of Oxygen at 10,000; those in an Atom of\nGold, 100,000; and those in an Atom of Radium, 150,000. These figures\nare of course mere \"scientific guesses\" but when compared with the\nsimilar \"guess\" regarding the size of the Atom, they give a startling\nillustration of the size of the newly discovered Corpuscle or Electron.\n\nAnother authority, for an illustration, asks us to consider a great\nglobe about 100 feet in diameter--that is, of course, 100 feet through\nits centre. Let the globe represent the Atom. Then imagine 1,000 minute\n\"specks,\" each the size of a pin-point, composed of Substance, and each\ncontaining, as in a capsule, an atom of electricity. Each \"speck\" is\nrevolving around each other in a regular orbit, in that great \"100 feet\nthrough\" globe, and keeping well away from one another. That will give\nyou an idea of the relative size of the Electrons and Atoms, and the\nroom that the former have to move about in--good many feet between each,\nyou will notice. Lots of room, and plenty to spare. Try to figure out\nthe size of an Electron.\n\nMany readers of the magazines have been confused as to the relation\nbetween the Corpuscles and the Electrons (or Ions, as some have called\nthe latter.) The matter is very simple. They are both the same. The\nCorpuscle is the tiny particle of Matter, which because it is\nelectrified and has thus become the \"unit of electricity,\" is called an\n\"Electron.\" From the viewpoint of Substance we call the tiny particle a\n\"Corpuscle\"--from the viewpoint of Electricity, we call it an\n\"Electron.\"\n\nThese Electrons are the tiny particles that pour forth from the pole in\nthe Crookes' Tube, and constitute what are known as \"X Rays,\" \"Cathode\nRays,\" \"Becquerel Rays,\" etc. They also are the particles that are\nthrown off and emitted by Radium, and similar substances. They exist in\nthe Atom, as explained, but also are found \"free\" and independent, and\nin the last condition or state are thrown off in the aforesaid \"Rays,\"\nand by Radium, etc. So far the Corpuscles are known only as charged\nwith Electricity, and the Electron only as a tiny charge of Electricity\nwith which the Corpuscle is charged. But Science dreams of Corpuscles of\nSubstance other than Electrons, in which case the old Occult teachings\nof \"light dust\" and \"heat dust,\" etc., will be verified.\n\nThe Electron contains a powerful charge of Electricity, as much in fact\nas an Atom, 1,000 to 150,000 times its size will carry. But Science is\nwondering how these highly charged particles manage to hold together in\nthe Atom, so rigidly coherent as to appear indestructible. We think that\nwe may get a hint at the matter a little later on in this book.\n\nScience, or at least _some_ scientists, are wondering whether the\n\"whirl\" or vibration of the Corpuscle might not produce that which we\ncall \"Electricity,\" and whether, when this motion is intensified, waves\nof Electricity will not be emitted. The writer fully agrees with this\nidea, and finds that it fits closely his own theories regarding\nSubstance and Motion. But the reader is cautioned against falling into\nthe error of many recent popular writers on the subject, some of whom\nhave used terms calculated to convey the idea that the Corpuscle\n(Electron) is Electricity _itself_, rather than tiny particles of\nSubstance called Corpuscles, charged with the unitary charge of\nElectricity, and therefore called \"Electrons.\" But for that matter,\nElectricity is only known to us as associated with some form of\nSubstance, and not as \"a thing-in-itself.\" We shall see the reason for\nthis as we proceed with this book. These Corpuscles are destined to play\na most important part in the theories of Science from now on. They\nalready have overturned several very carefully and laboriously erected\ntheoretical structures--and many more will follow, among the many\nimportant ones evidently doomed to the dust-heap being the \"vortex-ring\"\natomic theory, and other theories built upon the Etheric origin of\nMatter, and other theories concerning the Ether, even to the extent of\nbreaking down the theory of The Ether itself, which theory had almost\ncome to be considered a Law.\n\nWe shall further consider the Corpuscles, and their qualities,\ncharacteristics, etc., in the next chapter, for they have an important\nbearing upon the theories advanced in the course of the study of this\nbook.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER VI\n\nSUBSTANCE AND BEYOND\n\n\nScience has ascribed to Substance certain characteristic qualities which\nit calls \"Properties.\" It divides these properties into two classes,\n_viz._: (1) Molecular Properties (sometimes called Physical Properties);\nand (2) Atomic Properties (sometimes called Chemical Properties).\n\n_Molecular Properties_ are those which may be manifested by Substance\nwithout disturbing the Molecules, and consequently without affecting the\n\"kind\" of Substance.\n\n_Atomic Properties_ are those which concern the Atoms when free from\nMolecular combination, and which consequently cannot be manifested\nwithout changing the \"kind\" of Substance.\n\nScience, before long, is likely to add a third class of Properties,\nnamely, \"_Corpuscular Properties_,\" relating to the Corpuscles or\nparticles of Radiant Matter, but, so far, it has not had the opportunity\nto sufficiently observe these qualities, except in a general way.\n\nThere are certain General Properties that seem possessed by both Mass,\nMolecules, and Atoms--and probably by Corpuscles.\n\nThese _General Properties_ are as follows:\n\n_Shape_: That property whereby Substance \"takes up room.\" This property\nmanifests in three directions, called Dimensions of Space, namely,\nLength, Breadth, and Thickness.\n\n_Weight_: That property whereby Substance responds to Gravity. Weight is\nsimply the measure of the attraction.\n\n_Impenetrability_: That property whereby two bodies of Substance are\nprevented from occupying the same space at the same time. A nail driven\ninto a piece of wood, simply pushes aside the molecules, and occupies\nthe Space between them. Substance is never actually \"invaded\" or its\nactual territory occupied by other Substance.\n\n_Indestructibility_: That property whereby Substance is prevented from\nbeing destroyed or annihilated. Although the forms of Substance may be\nchanged, or transformed into other forms, still, Substance _in itself_\nis not destroyed, and cannot be under the existing Laws of the Universe.\n\n_Mobility_: That property whereby Substance responds to imparted Motion.\nWe shall notice this property in our consideration of Motion. In\naddition to the Motion of the Mass, and the movements of Molecules and\nAtoms in response to its Attraction, there is another form of Motion\nconstantly going on, without reference to the Attraction or impressed\nMotion of the Mass. The Molecules of all bodies are always in a state of\nrapid Motion, called Vibration. In solids this vibration is short, being\nrestrained by the close cohesive position of the Molecules. But in\nLiquids, the Molecules being further separated, the vibration is far\nmore rapid, and they move around and slide over each other with\ncomparatively little resistance. In gases and vapors the Molecules have\na splendid field for Motion, and consequently vibrate in wide fields and\norbits, and dash around with the greatest velocity. The Atoms also are\nbelieved to vibrate rapidly, in accordance with their own laws of\nvibration. And the Corpuscles are believed to far excel the last two\nmentioned particles in intensity, rapidity and complexity of their\nvibrations, as we shall see a little later on in the book. All Substance\nis in constant Motion and Vibration. There is no Rest in Substance.\n\n_Inertia_: That property whereby Substance may not move unless in\nresponse to imparted Motion; nor terminate its Motion, when it is once\nimparted, except in response to some other manifestation of impressed\nForce. Science holds that this \"impressed Force\" or \"imparted Motion\"\nmust come from without, but the writer holds that Force may also be\n\"expressed\" from \"within,\" as may be seen by reference to subsequent\nchapters of this book.\n\n_Attraction_: That property whereby particles or bodies of Substance (1)\ndraw other particles or bodies toward themselves; or (2) move toward\nother particles or bodies; or (3) are mutually drawn together. This\nproperty manifests in four forms, generally referred to as separate and\ndistinct from each other, but which the writer believes to be but forms\nof the same Attractive Power, and which he believes to be a Mental\nProcess, at the last analysis (a revolutionary claim, which will be\nsupported by argument in later chapters of the book). These three forms\nof Attraction are known as (1) Gravitation; (2) Cohesion; (3) Adhesion;\nand (4) Chemical Affinity, or Chemism. We are invited to consider them\nbriefly, at this point, further investigation being reserved for our\nchapters on Motion, and Dynamic Thought.\n\n_Gravitation_: This term is usually applied to the attraction between\nMasses of Substance, such as the Sun, the Earth, and Masses of Substance\non or about the Earth's surface. However, Newton, who discovered the\nfacts of Gravitation, states the Law, as: \"_Every particle of matter in\nthe Universe, attracts every other particle_,\" _etc._\n\n_Cohesion_: This term is used to indicate the attraction between\nMolecules, by which they are combined into Masses or Bodies. Cohesion\ncauses the Molecules to unite and cling together, thus forming the Mass.\n\n_Adhesion_: This term is used to indicate the attraction between Masses\nwhich causes them to \"stick together\" without a cohesion of their\nMolecules. Adhesion operates through the adjacent surfaces of the two\nMasses. It may be considered as a \"lesser\" form of cohesion.\n\n_Chemical Affinity_ (sometimes called Chemism or Atomic Attraction):\nThis term is used to indicate the attraction between the atoms, by which\nthey combine, unite and cling together, forming the Molecule.\n\nScience has before it the task of naming, and classifying, the\nattraction between the Corpuscles, by which they combine and form the\nAtom. But whatever the name, it will be seen that it represents but\nanother manifestation of \"Attraction.\"\n\nArising from Molecular Attraction, or Cohesion, are several \"Properties\"\npeculiar to Masses having Molecules, and resulting from the tendency of\nthe latter to resist separation. We had better consider them briefly,\nin order to understand the power of Molecular Attraction, and its\nincidents.\n\n_Porosity_: That property indicating the distances observed by the\nMolecules in their relation to each other, which varies in different\n\"kinds\" of Substance. All Substance is more or less Porous, that is, has\nmore or less space existing between the Molecules--the degree depends\nupon the \"closeness.\" Compressibility and Expansibility, sometimes\nmentioned as \"properties,\" are but results of Porosity.\n\n_Elasticity_: That property whereby bodies resume their original size\nand form, after having been compressed, expanded or \"bent.\" The result\nis caused by the inclination of the molecules to resume their original\npositions. What is sometimes called \"Plasticity\" is merely the reverse\nof Elasticity, and denotes a limited degree of the latter.\n\n_Hardness_: That condition resulting from Molecular Attraction resisting\nthe forcible entrance and passage of other Substance between the\nmolecules.\n\n_Tenacity_: That condition resulting from Molecular Attraction resisting\nthe forcible pulling asunder, or tearing apart of the Mass. This\ncondition sometimes is called \"Toughness.\"\n\n_Malleability_: That condition resulting from Molecular Attraction\nresisting the forcible separation of the Mass by pounding, hammering or\npressure. The resistance is \"passive,\" and consists of the Molecules\nallowing themselves to assume a spread-out formation, rather than to be\nforced apart.\n\n_Ductility_: That condition resulting from Molecular Attraction\nresisting the forcible separation of the Mass by a \"drawing out\"\nprocess. The resistance is \"passive,\" and consists of the Molecules\nallowing themselves to be drawn out into a formation of the shape of\nwire or thread, rather than to be pulled apart.\n\nIn any of the above cases, we may intelligently, and with propriety,\nsubstitute the words, \"_Molecules, by means of cohesion, resisting,\netc._,\" for the terms above used, \"Molecular Attraction, resisting,\netc.\"\n\nAll Masses of Substance (probably Molecules as well) are capable of\n_Expansion and Contraction_, both phenomena, in fact, and in degree,\nresulting from the relation of the Molecules. Contraction is a \"crowding\ntogether\" of the Molecules; Expansion a \"getting apart\" of them.\n\n_Density_: The amount of Substance in relation to a given bulk.\n_Volume_--the \"size\" or \"bulk\" of a body of Substance. _Mass_--Besides\nbeing used to designate a \"body\" of Substance, composed of two or more\nMolecules, the term \"Mass\" is used to designate the \"total quantity of\nSubstance in a Body.\" An application of the above terms may be seen in\nthe following illustration:\n\nA quart of water occupies a certain space--and has a certain \"volume,\"\n\"mass\" and \"density.\" Convert the same \"mass\" of Water into Steam, and\nit expands to a \"volume\" of 1700 times that of Water--but, as no\nmolecules have been added, the \"mass\" remains the same--but as a quart\nof Steam weighs 1700 times less than the same \"volume\" of Water, the\n\"density\" of Steam is 1700 times less than that of Water. As the\n\"volume\" of a given \"mass\" increases, the \"density\" decreases in the\nsame proportion--but the \"mass\" remains the same. \"Mass\" therefore has\ntwo factors, _i.e._, \"Volume\" and \"Density.\" The \"Density\" of a \"Mass\"\nis determined by the _weight_ of a certain \"Volume\" of it.\n\nThe above consideration of the \"Properties\" of Substance dealt only with\nthe Molecular Properties, or Physical Properties, as they are sometimes\ncalled--that is, with properties depending upon the existence of the\nMolecules. When we consider the Molecules as being composed of Atoms,\nand when we consider the processes whereby these Molecules are built up\nof, or broken down through the separation of Atoms, we come to the\nsubject of Atomic Properties, or Chemical Properties, as they are often\ncalled.\n\n_The Atomic Properties of Substance_ consist principally in the power\nand manifestation of Motion, in the direction of combination,\nseparation, and the complex motions resulting from the same. This Motion\nis manifested by reason of Atomic Attraction, sometimes called \"Chemical\nAffinity,\" which we shall consider a little later on in the chapter.\n\nAtomic Principles, as above mentioned, are best illustrated by a\nreference to Chemical changes, and we shall now examine the same. And,\nthe better way to consider Chemical Changes is by comparing them with\nPhysical Changes, or Changes of the Molecules.\n\n_Some Physical Changes in Substance_ are brought about by Heat, which\ntends to separate the molecules, or rather to allow them to spread out\naway from each other, so long as the high temperature is maintained, the\ndegree of their nearness being influenced by temperature. Other Physical\nChanges are produced by outside Forces separating the molecules to such\nan extent--to such a distance--that their cohesive force is lost, and\nthe Solid matter is said to be \"broken,\" or even reduced to dust. Other\nphysical changes are brought about by Electricity, causing the Molecules\nto separate and disintegrate.\n\n_Chemical Changes_, as distinguished from Physical Changes, do not\ninvolve or deal with Molecules, the action being solely upon the Atoms\nof which the Molecules are composed. Physical Changes _separate_\nMolecules from each other, while Chemical Changes destroy and break up\nthe Molecule, so that its identity is forever lost, its Atoms thereafter\neither existing free from combinations, or else recombining with other\nAtoms, and forming new combinations. Chemical changes are occasioned by\neither physical or chemical agencies. The physical agencies generally\nemployed are heat, electricity, light, pressure, percussion, etc. The\nprinciple of Chemical Changes is that the Atoms are possessed of, and\nsubject to, what is called \"Atomic Attraction\" or \"Chemical Affinity,\"\nwhich may be defined as an attraction or \"love\" existing in varying\ndegrees between Atoms. This Affinity causes Atoms of one element to seek\nout and ally themselves to Atoms of another element, the element of\n\"choice\" or \"preference\" being strikingly in evidence.\n\nAtoms of different elements form marriages, and cling together in\nharmony, until, perchance, by some physical or chemical agency, the\nMolecule is brought in sufficiently close connection with another\nMolecule composed of different elemental atoms, when, alas! one of the\nAtoms of our Molecule finds that it has a greater Affinity for some\nother elemental Atom in the second Molecule, and lo! it flies away,\nleaving its first partner, and seeking the new charmer. Divorce and\nre-marriage is a common thing in the world of Atoms--in fact, Chemistry\nis based upon these qualities.\n\nPhysical and Chemical Changes gradually transform solid rock to \"earth\"\nor \"soil.\" Disintegration, by the action of changes in temperature,\nrains and atmospheric influences, and other Physical Changes, have\nslowly worn down the rocks into \"dirt,\" gravel, clay, loam, etc. And\nDecomposition by Chemical Change that set the atoms free from their\ncombinations has aided in the work.\n\nThere is no rest in the world of Substance. Everything is\nchanging--constantly changing. Old forms give way to new, and these,\ngrown old while being born, are, in turn replaced by still newer. And\non, endlessly. Nothing persists but change. And yet nothing is\ndestroyed, although countless forms and shapes have succeeded each\nother. Substance is always there, undisturbed and unaffected by the\nvarieties of forms it is compelled to undergo. Masses may change--and do\nchange. Molecules may change--and do change. Disintegration and\ndecomposition affect both, and bring to them the death of form. But\ntheir substance endures in the Atom. Atoms may change, and decompose, or\nundergo whatever change that is their fate, and still the Corpuscles, or\nwhat lies beyond the Corpuscles will remain. The Atom was once regarded\nas Eternal, but now even it seems to be capable of dissolving into some\nfiner division of Substance--and perhaps still finer subdivisions await\nit.\n\nThat familiar form of Substance that we call \"earth,\" \"dirt,\" \"soil,\"\netc., is but the result of disintegrated rock, which has crumbled and\nlost its former form through the action of air, water and atmospheric\ninfluences. And the rocks themselves, from which the \"soil\" came, were\nat one time a sea of melted, flowing liquid Substance, somewhat\nresembling volcanic lava. And this \"melted rock\" is thought to have been\ncondensed from the same principles in the shape of vapor, that existed\nin the early days of our planetary system. Vapor, gas, liquid,\nsemi-liquid, solid rock, \"soil\"--the Substance unchanged, the forms\ntotally unlike. Helmholtz estimates the density of the nebulous vapors\nof Substance as being so rare that it would take several millions of\ncubic miles of it to weigh a single grain. Oh, Nature, what a wizard\nthou art!\n\nWe have spoken of Air and Water, in a former chapter, and their\nconstituent atoms have been named. And from these three great reservoirs\nof Substance--the Earth, the Air, and the Water--are obtained all the\nmaterial that goes to form the bodies of the animal and vegetable\nkingdoms. The plant draws its nourishment from the soil, the air, and\nwater, and in its wonderful chemical laboratory is able to transform the\nelements so drawn from these sources into a substance called \"Plasm,\"\nwhich consists principally of carbon, oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen,\nbeing nearly identical in composition to the white of an egg, and which\nconstitutes the basis of animal and plant bodily structures. All the\nmaterial of the physical bodies, of men, animals and plants, are but\nforms of Plasm. The animals, and man, obtain their nourishment, directly\nor indirectly, from the plant body, and so at the last we are seen to\ndraw from the soil, air and water all our bodily nourishment, which we\nconvert into bodily structure, bone, muscle, flesh, blood, veins,\ntissue, cells, etc. And the chemical atoms of our bodies are identical\nwith those in the rock, the air, the water. And so you see the\nuniversality of Substance and its countless forms and appearances.\n\nChemistry resolves Substance back into about seventy-five simple\nsubstances, of which Atoms are the Units, which simple substances are\ncalled \"Elements.\" From these Elements (by their Atoms) all other\nsubstances are formed by combinations, the number of such possible\ncombinations being infinite. An Element (in order to be an element) must\nbe a \"simple\" substance, that is, must be incapable of further analysis\ninto some other elements. The seventy-five elements, now recognized by\nscience, have never been resolved into other elements, by chemical\nanalysis, and therefore are accepted as \"simple.\" But, it is true that\nother substances that were formerly considered as simple elements were\nafterward decomposed by electricity, and found to consist of two or more\nsimpler substances or elements. Thus new elements were discovered, and\nold ones discarded as \"not-elemental.\" And this fate may be in store for\na number of the elements now on the list--and many new ones may be\ndiscovered.\n\nFor a long time Science was endeavoring to trace all elements back to\nHydrogen, the latter being considered the \"Ultimate Element,\" and its\natoms composing all the other atoms, under varying conditions, etc. But\nthis theory is now almost abandoned, and Science rests on its list of\nseventy-five elements, the atoms of which are composed of \"Electrons.\"\nSome have hazarded the theory that the Elements were all forms of Ether\n(see next chapter), their apparent differences resulting merely from the\nvarying rate of vibration, etc. And, in fact, such theory was about\nfinally adopted as a working hypothesis until the discovery of the\nCorpuscle. Everything in Substance now seems to be moving back to the\nCorpuscle, as we shall see a little further on.\n\nThe following is a list of the principal Elements, known to Science,\nto-day:\n\n  Aluminum.\n  Antimony.\n  Arsenic.\n  Barium.\n  Bismuth.\n  Boron.\n  Bromine.\n  Cadmium.\n  Calcium.\n  Carbon.\n  Chlorine.\n  Chromium.\n  Cobalt.\n  Copper.\n  Fluorine.\n  Gold.\n  Hydrogen.\n  Iodine.\n  Iron.\n  Lead.\n  Magnesium.\n  Manganese.\n  Mercury.\n  Nickel.\n  Nitrogen.\n  Oxygen.\n  Phosphorus.\n  Platinum.\n  Potassium.\n  Radium.\n  Silicon.\n  Silver.\n  Sodium.\n  Strontium.\n  Sulphur.\n  Tin.\n  Zinc.\n\nOf the above, Hydrogen is by far the lightest in weight; in fact it is\nused as a unit of Atomic Weight, its weight being marked \"1\" on the\nscale; Gold, 197; Lead, 207; Silver, 108; Oxygen, 16; Nitrogen, 14;\nIron, 56.\n\nThe discovery of the Corpuscle, or Electron, rudely shattered the\nvortex-ring theory of the origin of the Atom, and now, instead of the\nAtom being regarded as a \"vortex-ring\" in that hypothetical, paradoxical\nabsurdity, the Ether, it is believed to be composed of a vast number of\ntiny particles called Corpuscles, as we saw stated in our last chapter.\nThese Corpuscles seem to be the \"last thing in Substance\"--its last\nknown state of refinement, and already it is being proclaimed as the\nlong-sought for \"Primal Matter,\" or \"Ultimate Substance.\" Whether or not\na still finer state of Substance will be discovered Science is unable to\nsay, but thinks it unlikely. But we must not overlook the old Occult\nTeaching indicating a state of Substance so fine that it is\nimperceptible, and only recognizable as apparently \"free force\"; its\ncovering, or vehicle of Substance not being evident. This would seem to\nindicate a still further refinement of Substance, although perhaps the\n\"Corpuscle\" or \"Electron\" will answer to \"fill the bill\" in the case.\n\nAs to the Corpuscle being \"Primal Substance,\" it must be admitted that\nits advocates have presented a very strong case. One of their most\nimportant points is that although Molecules differ very materially from\neach other, according to their kinds; and while Atoms likewise manifest\nvery plainly their \"kind,\" the Corpuscle seems to possess _only one\n\"kind,\"_ no matter from what form or \"kind\" of Substance it is thrown\noff. Just think what this means. It means that the finest particles of\nGold, Silver, Iron, Hydrogen, Oxygen, and all the rest of the Elements,\n_are composed of identically the same material, and exhibit no\ndifferences in_ \"_kind_.\" The Elements are no longer \"Simple.\" _All\nSubstance is One, at the last analysis!_\n\nThe Corpuscles seem to possess the same Mass--to carry the same charge\nof Electricity--to act precisely the same--irrespective of their source.\nNo difference in size, mass or character, as in the case of the\nAtom--all are identical, save in the rate of their vibration at the time\nof observation, which is simply a matter of more or less Motion. Space\nseems to be flooded with these tiny particles--these Units of Substance.\nThey stream from the Sun; the Stars; and every body highly heated.\nLikewise they stream from the bodies of highly electrified Substance.\nGroups of these Corpuscles, absolutely identical in nature, size, mass,\netc., constitute the Atoms of the Seventy-five Elements, the \"kind\" of\nElement seemingly being dependent upon the number and arrangement of the\nCorpuscles, and possibly by their rate of vibration. Every Atom is like\na great bee-hive with a swarm of Corpuscles vibrating, moving around\neach other, and upon their own centres. And, if by the action of intense\nheat, transmitted, or caused by interrupted Motion--or if by a strong\nElectric charge--some of these Corpuscles are detached from the Atoms\n(or possibly an Atom broken up), they fly off through Space at a\nmarvellous speed of many thousand miles an hour.\n\nSo we see that these wonderful Corpuscles look very much like Primal\nMatter or Ultimate Substance--the \"Stuff\" out of which Substance is\nmade. And, taking you back to the chapter on \"The Universality of Life\nand Mind,\" the writer would remind you that in their Motions and\nevident Attraction, etc., these Corpuscles evidence the same \"Life and\nMind\" that we observed in the Molecules and Atoms. It must be so, for\nwhat is in the manufactured article must be in the material of which the\narticle is made. And so, even here, Life and Mind have not escaped us.\nNor will it in The Ether!\n\nAnd speaking of the Corpuscles, as \"manufactured articles,\" we are\nreminded of Herschel's thought about the Atoms, when they were regarded\nas Primal Matter and likely to be uniform, and, at the end, of one\nprimal substance. Although Herschel's conception does not now apply to\nthe Atoms, it may be transferred to the Corpuscles.\n\nHerschel thought that the fact that the Particles of Substance were\nlikely to be found to be uniform in size, and identical in nature and\ncharacteristics, indicated that they might be akin to \"manufactured\narticles,\" turned out from the same great machinery of Creation. This\nidea would indicate that the Creator applied the rules of careful\nmanufacture to the manufacture of the Particles, the uniformity\noperating in the direction of (1) Economy of Material; (2) Utility\nthrough interchangeability, replacing broken or discarded parts, etc.;\nand also (3) Conformity to a Standard of Size, Quality, etc.\n\nThe thought is interesting, and is mentioned here for that reason. It is\nnot affected by the supposition that there may be a still finer and\nrarer form of Substance, from which the Particles are \"manufactured\"--in\nfact, the idea of Herschel, if closely analyzed, would seem to indicate\nsome such \"raw material\" from which the articles were manufactured.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER VII\n\nTHE PARADOX OF SCIENCE\n\n\nIn the days of the ancients, when the philosophers found themselves\nunable to account for any particular class of phenomena, they bundled it\ntogether and referred it to a suppositious Something that they called\n\"The Ether.\" Finding this an easy way to get rid of vexatious questions,\nthey fell into the custom--and the habit grew upon them. Soon there were\na dozen or more different kind of Ethers in vogue, each explaining\nsomething else--the \"something else,\" by the way, being things that\nScience _now_ feels that it understands pretty well. These Ethers grew\nto be like the various \"Vapors\" of the ancients--a dignified term for\n\"We don't know\"--a respectable road for retreat under the semblance of\nan advance.\n\nThese Ethers became a scientific scandal, and caused a lax mode of\nthinking among students of those times. And so they were finally\nabolished and relegated to the scrap pile of Science, where they lay\nfor many centuries until a comparatively recent period, when at least\none of them was hauled forth, dusted, freshened up a little, and placed\nupon its old pedestal. This revamped Ether, referred to, was the \"Ether\nof Aristotle.\" Aristotle, as we know, was a famous Greek philosopher who\nlived about 350 B.C.--about 2250 years ago. He was a good man and a\ncelebrated philosopher, but was somewhat deficient in scientific\nknowledge. Although he knew many things, and uttered many wise thoughts,\nhe was under the impression that the breath of Man entered the heart\ninstead of the lungs--that the back part of the skull was empty, and so\non. He was without the advantages of a modern training--which, was not\nhis fault, however.\n\nWell, Aristotle conceived the idea of an Universal Ether, which he\nthought pervaded all space, and with which he accounted for the passage\nof light from the sun and stars; the movements of the planets, and\nvarious other physical phenomena. It is not known whether Aristotle\nreally _believed_ in this Ether, or whether he merely used it as a\nspeculative hypothesis, following the Ether Habit of his contemporaries.\nAt any rate, his theory served its purpose--lived, flourished, declined\nand died--at least seemed to be dead. But its corpse was resurrected in\nmodern times, and used to account for divers things.\n\nThis does not mean that modern thinkers really \"believe\" in the\nUniversal Ether--they merely assume it as a working hypothesis until\nsomething better is offered.\n\nIts principal modern use is to account for the transmission of Light\nfrom the Sun and Stars to the Earth. It was held that a thing could not\nact \"where it was not,\" and so it became necessary to account for the\ntransmission either by the theory that small particles of substance were\nthrown off from the Sun, and travelled to the Earth, or else that there\nwas some medium of communication by means of vibrations, etc. Newton\nheld to the first theory, but his hypothesis went down before the Ether\nadvocates, who advanced the \"wave-theory,\" although it seems that, like\nBanquo's ghost, Newton's theory will not stay down, and is now taking on\na new lease of life, owing to the discovery of the Corpuscle and Radiant\nMatter.\n\nThe Wave-theory philosophers asserted that the Light and Heat of the Sun\nwere thrown off in the shape of Force or Energy, and transformed into\n\"waves\" in and of a hypothetical Ether (Aristotle's own), which waves\nwere carried to the Earth, where, meeting Substance, they were again\ntransformed into Heat and Light.\n\nIt was known that Light and Heat travelled at the rate of 184,000 miles\nper second, and therefore the \"waves\" of the Ether were considered to\nhave that speed. The Wave-theory seemed to fit the facts of the case\nbetter than the Newtonian Theory of Corpuscles, although the latter has\nalways been considered as better explaining certain phenomena than the\nnew theory. And so the Ether Wave became generally accepted, and remains\nso to-day, although recent discoveries are causing a disturbance in the\nscientific camp regarding the question.\n\nLater it was discovered that the Electricity travelled at the same rate\nas Light and Heat, and the Wave-of-the-Ether theory was thus thought to\nhave additional verification, and Electricity came under the Law and\nremained there until the Electron discovery, which is causing much\ndisturbance, among those interested in the study of Electricity.\n\nBriefly stated, the theory of the Universal Ether is this:\n\nThat pervading all Space in the Universe--not only between planets,\nstars and suns, but also \"filling in the cracks\" between molecules, and\natoms as well--there is a subtle Substance in and through which the\nwaves of Light, Heat, Electricity and Magnetism travel at the rate of\n184,000 miles per second. This Substance is said to be \"Matter that is\nnot Matter\"--in fact, Science does not venture to say just _what_ it is,\nalthough it freely states just what some of its properties must be, and,\nalas! these properties are most contradictory and opposite to each\nother, as we shall see as we proceed.\n\nThis Universal Ether is purely hypothetical. It has been called a\n\"necessity of Science\"--something assumed for the purpose of explaining\nor accounting for certain phenomena. It is undemonstrated and\nunproved--in fact, may truthfully be said to be undemonstrable and\nunprovable. Some have gone so far as to say that its claimed properties\nand qualities render it \"unthinkable\" as well. And yet, Science finds\nitself compelled to assume that the Ether, or \"something like it\"\nexists, or else cease speculating about it. It belongs to the realm of\npure theory, and yet, many writers treat it as if it were a positively\ndemonstrated and proven fact. Let us examine into the nature of\nScience's problem, and her attempted solution, and the trouble arising\ntherefrom.\n\nLight travels at the rate of 184,000 miles a second. Remember, that\nLight and Heat are that which we call by those names only when\nconsidered in connection with Substance. According to the theory, Light\nin the Sun's atmosphere is transformed into a Light-wave of the Ether on\nits travels to the earth, and only when the \"wave\" comes in contact\nwith the Substance on the earth's body or atmosphere does it become\nagain transformed into Light as we know it. In its travels through\nspace it meets with no Substance, and has nothing to \"turn into\nlight\"--consequently Space (between worlds) is in a state of absolute\ndarkness. The same is true of Heat, and inter-world Space is absolutely\ncold, although passing through it are countless heat-waves of great\nintensity, which, later on, will be transformed into Heat when they\nreach the Substance, the earth. The same is true of Electricity and\nMagnetism.\n\nAlthough the Ether, as we have seen, is a purely theoretical substance,\nyet Science has found it reasonable to conclude that it must be\npossessed of certain attributes in order to account for certain known\nfacts. Thus, it is said to be frictionless, else the worlds, suns and\nplanets could not pass freely through it, nor could the light and heat\nwaves travel at such a tremendous rate. It also is thought to have\nsomething like Inertia, because Motion once started in it persists until\nstopped; because it is at a state of rest until Motion is imparted to\nit; and because it takes a fraction of time to impart motion to it. It\nis thought to be different from Substance in any of its known forms, for\nmany reasons, among such being the fact that no known form of Substance\ncould carry vibrations through space at the rate of 184,000 miles a\nsecond. And Light and Heat waves travel at that rate, and have forms and\nshapes, and lengths of their own. Light for instance, vibrates on two\nplanes, and a light-wave is something like a Greek cross, thus (-|-),\nhaving a horizontal and a vertical line, or plane of vibration. And the\nEther cannot be a fluid of any degree, because a fluid cannot transmit\ncross vibrations at all. And it cannot be a Solid, because a Solid could\nnot stand vibrations at such a terrific speed, and still remain a Solid.\nAnd yet, to transmit the two-plane light waves, the Ether must have a\ncertain degree of Rigidity, else the waves could not travel. Lord Kelvin\nestimated this degree of Rigidity as about 19,000,000,000th of the\nrigidity of the hardest steel. So, you see, Science is compelled to\nassume that the Ether is \"a continuous, Frictionless medium, possessing\nboth Inertia and Rigidity.\" Some scientists have thought it to be a kind\nof \"elastic jelly.\"\n\nOf the Ether, Prof. Oliver Lodge has said, \"We have to try and realize\nthe idea of a perfectly continuous, subtle, incompressible substance,\npervading all Space, and penetrating between the molecules of ordinary\nMatter, which are imbedded in it, and connected to one another by its\nmeans. And we must regard it as the one universal medium by which all\nactions between bodies are carried on. This, then, is its function--to\nact as the transmitter of motion and energy.\"\n\nTo give you an idea of the wonderful thing that Science is compelled to\nthink of the Ether as being, by reason of the qualities it is compelled\nto ascribe to it--although it confesses itself unable to \"imagine\" the\nnature of the \"Thing\" which it has created in bits by the adding and\nbestowing of qualities which were made necessary by the logical\nrequirements of the case--let us take a hurried view of the Thing as the\nseveral departments of Science say it must be thought of.\n\nTo meet the requirements of the case, Science says that The Universal\nEther must be Substance infinitely more rare and evanescent than the\nfinest gas or vapor known to Science, even in its rarest condition. It\nmust convey Heat in the manner of an infinitely Solid body--and yet it\nmust not be a Solid. It must be transparent and invisible. It must be\nFrictionless, and yet Incompressible. It cannot be a Fluid. It cannot\nhave Attraction for Substance, such as all Substance has. Nor can it\nhave Weight--that is, it is not subject to Gravitation. It is beyond the\nreach of any known scientific instrument, even of the greatest power,\nand it refuses to register itself in any way, either to senses or\ninstruments.\n\nIt cannot be known \"of itself,\" but may only be recognized as existent\nby the \"things\" for which it acts as a medium or transmitting agent. It\nmust convey Energy and Motion, yet it must not take up any part of\neither from the Matter in its midst. It must not absorb any of the Heat,\nLight or Electricity. It must fill up the spaces between the worlds, as\nwell as the most minute space between the Molecules, Atoms and\nCorpuscles, or any other minute particle of Substance, either known by\nname to Science now or which may be discovered or imagined later as a\nnecessity of some conception regarding the nature of Substance. In\nshort, The Universal Ether, in order to do the things attributed to it,\nmust be more solid than Solids; more Vapor-like and Gas-like than Vapor\nor Gas; more fluid than Fluids; infinitely less rigid than steel, and\nyet infinitely stronger than the strongest steel. It must be a substance\nhaving the qualities of a vacuum. It must be continuous and not composed\nof Particles, Atoms or Molecules. It must be an \"everything\" in some\nrespects, and yet a \"nothing\" in others. It must not be Substance, and\nyet it must carry Substance within its ocean of dimensions, and,\nbesides, interpenetrate the most minute space between the particles of\nSubstance. It must not be Energy or Force, and yet Science has been\nconsidering Energy and Force as but \"interruptions of rest\" or\n\"agitations\" within, and of, itself.\n\nSo you see that this mysterious, wonderful Universal Ether--in order to\n\"be\" at all--must be a \"Something\" possessing certain qualities or\nproperties of Substance--many of the properties of qualities being\nexactly contradictory and opposed to each other--and yet it cannot be\nSubstance as we know it. It is a Paradoxical thing. It could only belong\nto another and an entirely different order of existence from that of\nSubstance as we know it. It must possess characteristics and properties\nof an order as yet unknown to us by name--for which the material world\ncontains no analogy--for which Substance has no analogues. It must be a\nfar more complex thing than is even the most complex thing we call\nMatter, or that which we call Force or Energy. And yet, it has been\nclaimed that it would explain both--yes, contain within itself the\npossibility of both.\n\nAnd yet, in face of what has just been said, the writer must confess,\nhumbly and with a full realization of the enormity of the offence, that\nhe supposes advancing a theory, a little further on in this book that\nwill attempt to identify this Something--this Universal Ether--with a\nSomething else that we know, although not through the senses or by means\nof instruments. Bear with him kindly, he begs of you, while he proceeds\ngradually along the path that leads to the theory.\n\nScientists have compared Substance moving through the Ether as a coarse\nseive moving through water, the latter making room for the passage of\nthe seive, and then closing up behind it. If this be amended by the idea\nthat the moving seive, while allowing the water to pass through it\nfreely, still carries along with it a thin film of water which clings to\nthe wires of the seive by adhesion--if there be admitted this \"clinging\nfilm\" as well as the body of the water through which the seive\nmoves--then the illustration answers quite well as a crude illustration\nof Substance and \"The Ether.\" This fact is important in view of the\ntheory that will be advanced, further on in this book. Prof. Lodge, in\nhis interesting work, \"Modern Views of Electricity,\" mentions a number\nof experiments tending to prove the above mentioned fact, which is not\nso generally known as other facts relating to the Ether.\n\nUntil the discovery of Radiant Matter (bringing with it the new theories\nof the Corpuscle or Electron, etc.), brushed aside into the dust heap\nmany generally accepted scientific theories regarding the nature of\nSubstance, the favorite and most popular theory was what was known as\nthe \"Vortex-ring\" theory of the Atom. This theory held that the atoms of\nSubstance were but vortex-rings of the Ether, having had motion\ncommunicated to them in some way, and which afterwards acquired other\nmotions, and which finally become apparent to our senses as Substance.\nIn other words, the Atom was supposed to be a vortex-ring of Ether,\nacted upon by Force, in some unknown way, the character, nature and\nproperties of the Atom being determined by the shape and size of the\nvortex-ring; the rate of motion; etc., etc.\n\nThe new discoveries of Science, however, have set aside (at least\ntemporarily) this \"vortex-ring\" theory, and at present Science seems to\nfind its \"latest thing in Substance,\" in the theory that Substance--at\nthe last--seems to be the Corpuscle or Electron. In other words, after\nmany years of fancied security in a settled theory regarding the nature\nof Substance, Science once more finds itself compelled to take up the\nsearch for the origin of things. But the theory of the Ether\nremains--and is likely to--although the names applied to it will change.\nBy some it is still believed that in the Ether, a little further\nremoved, rests the origin of Substance and that the Corpuscle may be the\n\"vortex-ring\" product, instead of the Atom.\n\nIt will be noticed that Science has made no serious attempt to connect\nthe phenomenon of Gravitation or Attraction with the Ether. Gravitation\nstands alone--an \"outsider\" among the Forces, responding to none of\ntheir laws--needing no time in which to travel--needing no medium like\nthe Ether in which to transmit \"waves\"--fearing no obstacle or\ninterfering body, but passing right through the same--different,\ndifferent, different. And we shall see _why_ this difference, when we\nreach the point where our theory brings us to the point where we must\nsubstitute \"something else\" for that Great Paradoxical General Solvent\nof Modern Science--the Ether of Aristotle. We shall reach the point\nafter a brief consideration of Motion, Force and Energy.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER VIII\n\nTHE FORCES OF NATURE\n\n\nThe Substance filling the Universe is in constant and unceasing Motion.\nMotion is evidenced in every physical and chemical process and change,\nand manifested in the constant interchange of position of the Particles\nof Substance.\n\nThere is absolutely no rest in Nature--everything is constantly\nchanging--moving--and vibrating. Building-up processes are ever at work\nforming larger masses or bodies of the Particles--and tearing-down\nprocesses, disintegration and decomposition of Molecules and Atoms, and\nCorpuscles, are constantly at work also. Nature maintains a constant\nbalance among her Forces. If the building-up energies and forces were\nallowed full sway, then all the Particles in the Universe ultimately\nwould gravitate to a common centre, thus forming a compact and solid\nMass, which would thus dwell for Eternity, unless the Creative Power\nshould move upon it and again scatter its Particles in all directions.\nAnd, if the tearing-down, and dispersive forces and energies were\nallowed full sway, the Particles would fly apart and would remain\nasunder for Eternity, unless called together by some new Creative fiat.\n\nBut Nature pits one force against another, maintaining an equilibrium.\nThe result is constant play and inter-play of forces, causing\ndistribution, and redistribution of Particles, following the\ngathering-together and building-up processes.\n\nThere is no lost motion, or waste force. One form of force and motion is\nconverted into another, and so on, and on. Nothing is lost--all force is\nconserved, as we shall see as we proceed.\n\nIn the public mind--or rather, in the mind of that part of the public\nwhich think of the matter at all--there seems to be an idea that \"Force\"\nis something of the nature of an entity, separate from Substance or\nMind--something that pounces down upon Substance and drives it along by\npresence from without. The ancient philosophers regarded Substance as\nacted upon from _without_ by an entity called Force, Substance being\nregarded as absolutely inert and \"dead.\" This idea, which is still held\nby the average person, owing, doubtless, to the survival of old forms of\nexpression, was generally held by philosophers until the time of\nDescartes and Newton. This old idea was due to the teachings of\nAristotle--he of the Ether Theory--and Science and Philosophy were timid\nabout shaking off the Aristotelian dogmas. Others held that Light, Heat\nand Electricity were \"fluids\" conveyed from body to body--in fact the\ngeneral public still entertains this idea regarding Electricity, owing\nto the use of the term \"the Electric _fluid_.\"\n\nThe present teaching of Science is that Force is the result of the\nmotion of the Particles of Substance, and, of course, originates from\n_within_, rather than from without. It is true that Motion may be\ncommunicated to a body by means of another body in Motion imparting the\nsame to it, but that does not alter the case, for the Original Motion\ncame from the movement and vibration of the Particles of Substance,\nalthough it may have passed through many stages of transformation,\nchange and transmission in its progress. The only exception to the rule\nis Gravitation, which is a form of Force, the nature of which is unknown\nto Science, although its laws of operation, etc., are understood. We\nshall learn some new facts about Gravitation in the forthcoming chapters\nof this book.\n\nIt will be well for us to remember _this_ fact, in our consideration of\nForce and Motion--that Force and Motion _originate_ from the inherent\nproperty of Motion passed by the Particles of Substance, and come from\n_within_, not from without. This is the best teaching of Modern Science,\nand also, forms an important part of the Theory of Dynamic Thought which\nis advanced in this book. Buchner, the author of \"_Force and Matter_,\"\nvigorously insists upon this conception, saying, among many other\nsimilar expressions: \"Force may be defined as a condition of activity or\na motion of matter, or of the minutest particles of matter or a capacity\nthereof.\"\n\nThe term \"Force\" is generally defined in works on Physics as \"That which\ncauses, changes or terminates Motion.\" The word \"Force\" is generally\nused in the sense of \"in action,\" while \"Energy\" is usually used in the\nsense of \"Potential Force--capacity for performing work,\" the idea being\nthat it is \"stored-up\" force, or \"force awaiting use.\" The term \"Power\"\nis used in two senses, the first meaning \"a measure of Mechanical\nEnergy,\" such as a \"forty horse-power engine,\" etc.; the second sense\nbeing \"Capacity or Ability to Act, or exercise Force,\" this use being\nalmost identical to the idea of \"Energy,\" as above described, although,\npossibly, a little stronger expression.\n\nThe Materialistic school holds that Force is a property of Matter, the\nlatter being regarded as the \"real thing\" of the Universe. Others hold\nthat Force is the \"real thing,\" and that what is called Matter, or\nSubstance, is but a centre of Force, etc. Others hold that the two are\nbut aspects of the same thing, calling the \"thing\" by the name\n\"Matter-Force,\" or \"Force-Matter.\" Haeckel calls this combined \"thing\"\nby the name of \"Substance,\" claiming that what are called Matter and\nForce are but \"attributes\" of it, the third \"attribute\" being\n\"Sensation,\" which he holds is akin to Mind--\"Haeckel's Substance\" is\nheld to be Eternal, and Self-existent--its own Cause, in fact. (In this\nbook the term \"Substance\" is not used in this sense, but merely as\nsynonymous with what Science usually calls \"Matter.\")\n\nThe views advanced in this book differ materially from any of those\nabove mentioned, it being held by the writer that \"All Force is\nVital-Mental Force,\" and, consequently, \"Force\" as a separate thing is\nconsidered an unreasonable proposition--what is called \"Force\" being\nconsidered merely an action of Mind upon Substance, causing Motion. The\nwriter does not intend to advance this idea at this point beyond the\nmere mentioning of the fact--the theory being brought out and developed\nas we proceed--and he will proceed to a consideration of the phenomena\nof Force, along the lines of Modern Science, believing that in this way\nthe subject may be better understood.\n\nThe term \"Motion,\" as used in Physics, is defined as: \"The act, process\nor state of changing place or position; movement\"--(Webster). So you\nsee, Motion is the movement of Substance changing place or position;\nForce is that which causes, changes or terminates Motion; and Energy is\nthe \"capacity\" for manifesting Force; and Power the Ability to Act. In\nworks on Physics you will notice the expression, \"Potential Energy,\"\nmeaning Energy awaiting action; also \"Kinetic Energy,\" meaning Energy in\nAction; that is, in Motion. We shall not need these terms in this book,\nbut it is well to understand them.\n\nAnother term frequently met with, is \"Conservation of Energy,\" which is\nused to indicate that Law of Physics the operation of which renders\nEnergy indestructible. That is, Science holds that Energy can not be\ndestroyed--that it is not lost, or created, but is merely transformed\ninto other forms of Energy, Potential or Kinetic. Therefore, after\nEnergy is used, it either passes into a state of Potential Energy or\nRest, awaiting a future call to Activity, or else is immediately\ntransformed into another form of Kinetic Energy, or Energy in Action.\nThe theory holds that the quantity or amount of Energy in the Universe\nis fixed in its totality--none may be created or destroyed--there can be\nno addition to, or subtraction from the Totality of Energy--that all\nEnergy used has been previously stored up, or else has been immediately\ntransmitted or transformed. It is also held that when Energy manifests\nas the result of work performed, it is always found that it is at the\nexpense of some previously manifested form of Energy--that the agency by\nwhich the work is performed always parts with its stock of Energy, and\nthat the thing worked upon always acquires or gains the amount of Energy\nlost by the aforesaid agent, or worker--and yet there is no actual loss\nor gain, but merely transformation.\n\nThe above theory is mentioned as of interest in the general subject,\nalthough it does not play a prominent part in the subject of this book,\nfor the writer holds that all Energy resides in Mind, and emerges\ntherefrom, and, in the end, returns thereto. This being believed, it is\nseen that Energy is not to be thought of as a separate thing having a\n\"totality,\" but merely as a quality of Mind--the question of its\ntotality or fixed quantity not being inquired into, although both,\nprobably, run along the lines of the nature of Mind, and depend upon\nthe limitations, or lack of limitations, of the latter. However, the\nquestion does not assume a vital importance in our consideration of the\nsubject.\n\nSo far as the question of transmission, or transformation of Energy, is\nconcerned, however, the principles of the Law of Conservation of Energy\nmay be accepted as correct, although it more properly belongs to the\nprinciple of what has been called \"The Corelation of Force,\" the idea of\nwhich is that one form of Energy may be, and is always, transformed into\nanother form, and so on, and on, unto infinity. This idea is followed in\nthis book, except that the idea of \"From Mind originally, to Mind\nfinally,\" is incorporated within it. This law of the \"Corelation of\nForce\" may be illustrated by the following quotation from Tyndall, the\ngreat scientist of the last century, who says:\n\n\"A river, in descending from an elevation of 7720 feet, generates an\namount of heat competent to augment its own temperature 10 degrees F.,\nand this amount of heat was abstracted from the sun, in order to lift\nthe matter of the river to the elevation from which it falls. As long as\nthe river continues on the heights, whether in the solid form as a\nglacier, or in the liquid form as a lake, the heat expended by the sun\nin lifting it has disappeared from the universe. It has been consumed in\nthe act of lifting. But, at the moment that the river starts upon its\ndownward course, and encounters the resistance of its bed, the heat\nexpanded in its elevation begins to be restored. The mental eye, indeed,\ncan follow the emission from its source through the ether, as vibratory\nmotion, to the ocean, where it ceases to be vibration, and takes the\npotential form among the molecules of aqueous vapor; to the\nmountain-top, where the heat absorbed in vaporization is given out in\ncondensation, while that expended by the sun in _lifting_ the water to\nits present elevation is still unrestored. This we find paid back to the\nlast unit by the friction along the river's bed; at the bottom of the\ncascade, where the plunge of the torrent is suddenly arrested; in the\nwarmth of the machinery turned by the river; in the spark from the\nmillstone; beneath the crusher of the miner; in the Alpine saw-mill; in\nthe milk-churn of the chalet; in the supports of the cradle in which the\nmountaineer, by water-power, rocks his baby to sleep. All the forms of\nmechanical motion here indicated are simply the parcelling out of an\namount of calorific motion derived originally from the sun; and, at each\npoint at which the mechanical motion is destroyed or diminished, it is\nthe sun's heat which is restored.\"\n\nThe following quotation, also, is interesting as illustrating another\nphase of this law:\n\n\"The work performed by men and other animals is due to the transformed\nenergy of food. This food is of vegetable origin and owes its energy to\nthe solar rays. The energy of men and animals is, therefore, the\ntransformed energy of the sun. Excepting the energy of the tides, the\nsun's rays are the source of all the forms of energy practically\navailable. It has been estimated that the heat received by the earth\nfrom the sun each year would melt a layer of ice over the entire globe a\nhundred feet in thickness. This represents energy equal to one\nhorse-power for each fifty square feet of surface.\"--Anthony and\nBrackett.\n\nFrom the above quotations, it will be seen that the principal and most\nfamiliar sources (or great storage batteries) of Energy, apparent to\ndwellers upon this planet, are (1) the Earth manifesting the Power of\nGravitation; and (2) the Sun, manifesting solar heat. In Tyndall's\nillustration we see the force of the sun's Energy--heat--raising the\nwater from the ocean, by evaporation (although aided by the earth's\ngravitation \"pulling down\" the heavier air, allowing the vapor to rise).\nThen we see the Force of Gravitation causes the condensed vapor to fall\nas rain or snow on the mountain-top--then causing the rain to run into\nlittle streams, and so on until the river is reached--then causing the\nriver to start on its downward journey of over seven thousand feet--then\ncausing it to plunge over the cascade; to turn the wheels that operated\nthe machinery, and turned the millstone, and the crusher of the miner,\nand the saw-mill, and the milk-churn, and the cradle. And, as Tyndall\nmight have added, had he lived a little later--in the running of the\ndynamo, which running, produced electricity, that in turn caused lights\nto burn; other machinery to run and manufacture things; stoves to cook;\nflat-irons to iron; automobiles and engines to run; and many other\nthings along the lines of transmitting Energy, Force and Motion.\n\nAnd in this consideration, let us not forget the important part that\nGravitation--that most wonderful of all Forces--plays in the grand\nscheme of Nature. Not only does this Force cause the planets to circle\naround the sun, and, perhaps that sun around another sun, and so on, and\non until the matter becomes unthinkable--not only this, but it performs\na million parts in the affair of earthly Matter, as we shall see in a\nlater chapter. The Force of Gravitation is one of the greatest\nmysteries confronting Science to-day, although many believe it a simple\nquestion. Gravitation and the Universal Ether contain the great secrets\nof Nature that Man is striving to unveil. And yet, so \"common\" is\nGravitation that the race, including almost all the scientists, take it\nas a \"matter of course.\" We shall devote much attention to the question\nof Gravitation in the forthcoming chapters of this book, for it plays a\nvery important part in the general theory of Dynamic Thought, upon which\nthis book is based. We shall have a special chapter devoted to it, a\nlittle later on, and the matter will also come up for explanation\nfurther on in the book.\n\nBut, in the meantime, let us consider the other forms of Energy, _viz._,\nHeat, Light, Magnetism and Electricity, which with Gravitation and\nAttraction of other kinds, form the Forces of Nature.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER IX\n\nRADIANT ENERGY\n\n\nThe \"kinds\" of Energy are very few, although the methods of using,\napplying and manifesting same are innumerable. Let us begin with one of\nthe best known forms of Energy, namely, Heat.\n\n_Heat_ was formerly regarded as a very fine fluid or substance, called\n\"caloric,\" which was supposed to enter into Substance and then manifest\nthe phenomenon of \"heat.\" This idea has long since been relegated to the\nscrap pile of Science. The present theory, which is supported by a mass\nof evidence obtained through investigation and experimentation, is that\nHeat is a form of Energy, arising from the vibratory motions of the\nParticles of Substance--a \"Mode of Motion.\" The degrees of Heat are\ntermed \"Temperature.\" Temperature depends upon the rate of the\nheat-vibrations of the Particles of Substance, either arising from the\nOriginal Motion of the Particles, or else from vibrations or Motion\naroused in them by transmission from Particles of other bodies of\nSubstance--these vibrations being \"contagious.\" Temperature then means\n\"the measure of the vibrations of the Particles.\"\n\nAll bodies of Substance have _some_ degree of Temperature--some degree\nof heat-vibration of its Particles. Science has a pleasant \"scientific\nfriction\" of an Absolute Zero at the degree of 491 below Zero,\nFahrenheit, but this is merely an imaginary something with which the\ngrown up children of Science amuse themselves.\n\nWhen two bodies are brought near each other--the \"nearness\" being\ncomparative, and, in some cases, meaning a distance of millions of\nmiles--Heat is transmitted from the warmer to the cooler body, until the\ntemperatures are equalized--that is until the two bodies vibrate in\nunison.\n\nIn Physics we are taught that the \"Transmission\" of Heat may be\naccomplished in three ways, although the writer is of the opinion that\nthe three ways are but three forms of one way. The first form is called\n\"Conduction,\" whereby the vibration, or Heat, is conveyed along a body\nof Substance, from its warmer to its cooler parts--for instance, an iron\npoker with one end in the fire. The second form is called \"Convection,\"\nwhereby the visible motion of heated Substance, moving along the\nair--for instance, hot-air, hot-water, steam, etc., either by means of\npipes, or by allowing them to pass freely through the air. The third\nform is called \"Radiation,\" whereby the vibrations are believed to be\ntransformed into \"waves of the Ether,\" which will be spoken of later, in\naddition to what has been said on the subject in our chapter entitled\n\"The Paradox of Science.\"\n\nThe writer thinks that a little consideration will show us that the same\nrule operates in all of the above cases, and that \"Conduction\" and\n\"Convection\" are but forms of Radiation. For instance, in Conduction\nthere must be a few Particles first set into vibration, the same\ngradually passing on to the others farther, and farther away. Passing\n_how_? \"By contact,\" replies Physics. But, the Particles are never in\nabsolute contact--there always is \"plenty of space\" between them. And so\nthere must be some kind of \"waves\" passing through the space between\nthem, which space is not filled with \"air,\" or other form of Substance,\nbut only with \"the Ether,\" or _something that takes its place_. So that,\nafter all, Conduction is but a form of Radiation. And the same rule will\napply in the case of Convection.\n\nHeat arises from several causes, all of which, however, manifest through\nthe vibration of the Particles of the body evidencing the Heat. These\ncauses may be stated as (1) Original Motion of the Particles of a body\nof Substance, arising from some workings of the Law of Attraction, and\nincluding Motion arising from Chemical Action, Combustion, etc. (2) From\ntransmission or \"contagion\" from some other body of Substance, the\nParticles of which are vibrating at the rate of Heat. (3) From\ninterrupted Motion, including friction both of the moving body with the\nair or other Substance, and the friction of a current of Electricity\npassing through the body. In each of the above cases, the _actual_ and\nimmediate cause of the Heat is the vibration of the Particles of the\nSubstance manifesting the Heat, although the transmitted vibratory\nwaves, or the interrupted motion, friction, current, etc., may have been\nthe instigator or provoker of such vibration. The interrupted motion,\nfriction, or \"wave\" does not produce the Heat, but merely arouses or\nprovokes the increased vibration of the Particles, that really manifest\nthe Heat. At the last, remember, the Heat is in the Particles of the\nbody that \"feels\" or experiences it.\n\nThe vibrations of Heat seem to have the properties of causing the\nMolecules to draw further apart, and to manifest less Attraction, or\nmore Repulsion, whichever way one cares to express it. This \"moving\naway\" of the Molecules tend to cause the body to increase in volume or\nsize, and occasions what is known as \"Expansion\" in Substance. In this\nway Heat transforms Solids into Liquids; Liquids into Gases or Vapors,\nthe change being wholly a matter of the relative distances of the\nMolecules.\n\n_Magnetism_ is another form of Energy, and is generally believed to be a\npart of the phenomena of Electricity, if indeed, not a form of\nElectricity itself. Science knows very little about the nature of\nMagnetism, but in a general way holds to the theory that it results from\nthe vibration or motion of the Particles of Substance, as do all other\nforms of Energy. The magnetic qualities of a body may be increased or\ndecreased by motion affecting the relation of the Molecules, which fact\nhas been regarded as having some bearing on the theory.\n\n_Electricity_ is a form of Energy, that Science regards as also arising\nfrom the vibration or motion of the Particles of Substance. It is\ntransmitted, like Heat, by Conduction and Radiation, the \"waves\" tending\nto provoke similar vibrations in the Particles of Substances receiving\nthem. By many careful investigators, Electricity is believed to be very\nclosely related to the phenomenon called light, both having much in\ncommon. Science seems to be discovering new points of resemblance\nbetween them, and it is probable that in the near future they will be\nseen to be but varying forms of the same thing. The purposes of this\nbook do not call for an extended consideration of the properties of\nElectricity, the same being served by a consideration of its nature\nbeing akin to that of the other forms of Energy, namely, \"vibration or\nmotion in or among the Particles of Matter.\"\n\n_Light_ is a form of Energy, the study of which is of the greatest\ninterest to Science, for the reason that the field seems to be widening\nout continuously, and reaching out into the territory formerly thought\nto be the special region of Electricity. And, in another direction, it\nseems to be reaching out into the territory of Heat, the latter being\nconsidered by many to be but a form of Light, in its lower vibrations.\nIn fact, the writer of this book so considers the subject, and for the\npurposes of this book, in later chapters, he will combine Electricity,\nHeat, and Light, including, also, the phenomena known as the X-Rays,\nBecquerel Rays, Radium waves, etc., as forms of Light--the combined\nforms of Energy to be called \"_Radiant Energy_.\" In this combination, he\nbelieves that he is in line with the latest and best thought of Modern\nScience. However, he does not insist upon his readers following this\nidea, and so, if they prefer, they may think of each of these forms as\nseparate and distinct, and yet not run contrary to the line of thought\nof the book.\n\nLight is not the simple thing that it is considered to be by the general\npublic. It is composed of many parts, qualities and manifestations. Its\nrays, when separated by the Spectrum, are seen to consist of \"waves\" or\nvibrations of differing degrees of rate and intensity. The lower range\ncontains the heat rays, and it is interesting to know that there are\nrays of heat too far down in the scale to be evidenced by human senses\nthat may be distinguished by delicate instruments. But there are rays\nstill further down in the scale that are known to exist, theoretically,\nthat cannot be registered even by the finest instruments. To gain an\nidea of the delicacy of these instruments, let us remember that Prof.\nLangley has an instrument called the \"Bolometer,\" that is so delicate\nthat it registers a change of temperature of one millionth of a degree,\nand will register the heat of a candle one and one-half miles distant\nfrom it. Light vibrations arise from combustion, friction, electricity\netc., causing the Particles to assume increased Motion.\n\nLet us consider the report of the Spectrum. Beginning with waves or\nvibrations far below the sensibility of Man, the scale shows an advance\nuntil the first \"warm\" vibration of iron was reached. This first\nindication of warmth comes when the vibrations reach the rate of\n35,000,000,000,000 _per second_. Then gradually they increase until a\ndull red glow is noticed--the lowest _visible_ light ray--when the\nvibrations are 450,000,000,000,000 per second. Then come the orange\nrays, then the golden yellow, then the pure yellow, then the greenish\nyellow, then the pure green, then the greenish blue, then the ocean\nblue, then the cyanic blue, then the indigo, then the violet--the latter\nevidencing when the vibrations reach the rate of 750,000,000,000,000 per\nsecond. Then come the Ultra-violet rays--invisible to human sight--but\nevidenced by chemical media. In this Ultra-violet region lies the\nX-Rays, etc., and also the \"Actinic Rays,\" that produce photographs,\nsunburn one's face and blister the nose--that cause violent explosions\nin chemicals--that transform forms of Substance--that are employed to\ncure skin diseases, etc. These Actinic or Chemical Rays have an\nimportant role to play in plant-life, for they act upon the green leaves\nof the plant, causing a chemical change by which carbonic acid and water\nare transformed into sugar and starches.\n\nSome of the rays of the Ultra-violet region of Light penetrate\nsubstances formerly considered solid and impenetrable. And some of them\nemitted from Radium, etc., would destroy organic life if applied in\nsufficient quantities. Some of them are practically waves of Electricity\nso that Light and Electricity are seen to be closely related.\n\nTo give one an idea of the differences produced by different rates of\nvibration, let us imagine a Mass of Iron, shaped like a great \"Top,\"\ncapable of being impelled to \"spin\" at a constantly increasing rate of\nspeed, by some Mighty Will. At first it is seen as a slowly spinning\nTop, manifesting nothing but slow motion, to our senses.\n\nNow, imagine our Top spinning at a rate doubling each second. The first\nsecond the Top spins at the rate of two revolutions per second. We\nnotice no change, except that we can see the movement. The next second\nthe revolutions are doubled to four per second. Then, doubling each\nsecond, we have, respectively, revolutions of eight per second, then\nsixteen, and then in the fifth second thirty-two per second. Then we\nbegin to notice a change.\n\nWhen the revolutions reach thirty-two per second the friction of the\nmoving Top on the air causes it to give forth a very low, deep, bass\nnote of sound. This note is like a low, deep \"hum,\" and is the lowest\npossible of perception by the human hearing, although it is possible\nthat some of the lower forms of life may be conscious of still lower\nvibrations.\n\nThe sixth second the revolutions reach sixty-four, and the low note has\ngrown much higher in the scale. The seventh second records a rate of\n128, and the note has correspondingly increased. Then, as the seconds\npass, we have, successively, 256, 512, 1,024, 2,048, 4,096, 8,192,\n16,384, 32,768, the latter in the fifteenth second, and representing the\nhighest note recognizable by the human ear, although it is believed that\nsome of the lower animals may recognize sounds too acute for our sense\nof hearing. During this increase in revolutions from the fifth second to\nthe fifteenth, the sound-note has risen rapidly in the scale from the\nlow sullen \"hum,\" on through the notes of the musical scale, and beyond\nthe range of instruments, until the shrillness becomes so intense as to\nbe almost unbearable, and finally terminating in a shrill, piercing\nshriek like the \"squeak\" of the bat, only long-drawn out.\n\nThen from the termination of the sound (by reason of the rate of\nvibration having become too high) silence reigns for thirty\nseconds--absolute silence, in spite of the rapidly increasing rate of\nvibrations, in fact, because of it.\n\nWhen the forty-fifth second is reached, and the revolutions have reached\nthe rate of 35,184,372,088,832 per second, our Top begins to emit\nheat-rays, increasing each second. Then a little later a dull, dim glow\nmay be noticed. Then, as the seconds fly, the dull glow manifests a deep\ndark red color, such as one notices in the iron of the blacksmith's\nshop, soon after it begins to \"glow.\" Then, on and on, as the seconds\nfly, the deep red grows lighter and brighter, gradually changing into\norange, then into yellow, then into green, then into blue, then into\nindigo, then into violet, and then into the color of \"white-heat.\" Then\nthis \"white-heat\" changes into a still more dazzling white, and then a\nwhite impossible to describe appears, so bright, clear and brilliant\nthat the eye cannot bear the sight. Then, suddenly, the intense\nbrightness is succeeded by absolute darkness, and the moving Top cannot\nbe seen by the eye--and yet it moves on. The highest recorded chemical\nrays of light are estimated to equal a rate of vibration of\n1,875,000,000,000,000 per second. The vibration of the lowest shade of\nred light is estimated at 450,000,000,000,000, and the highest of violet\nat 750,000,000,000,000 per second, so we may imagine what the highest\nline on the spectrum is like.\n\nStill vibrating, our Top, which has become now a Mass of Vaporized Iron,\nrapidly tending toward still more ethereal forms. It has passed out\nfrom the region of light-waves, into another \"Unknown Region\" of\nVibrations, in which region, however, exist the vibrations known to us\nas the \"X-Rays,\" etc. It is throwing off great quantities of Electrons.\nIf we were to use a fluorescent screen we would be able to observe the\nphenomena of the Roentgen Rays, and similar manifestations of Radiant\nEnergy.\n\nOn and on vibrates the Top of what we once called Iron--cold iron, warm\niron, hot iron, melted iron, gaseous iron, etherealized iron, if you\nlike. What it is like now, the imagination of Man cannot conceive. Still\nthe revolutions continue, doubling each second. _What is being\nproduced?_ The imagination cannot conceive of what this state of\nSubstance, now being reached, is like. By a scientific form of poetry we\nmight think of it as melting into Energy--pure Energy, if there were\nsuch a thing. Long since it has been resolved into its original\nParticles--its Corpuscles, and perhaps into the \"stuff\" from which\nparticles are made. But we must let the curtain drop--the wildest fancy\ncannot follow the Dance of Substance any further.\n\nThe theory of the transmission of vibrations of Radiant Energy by means\nof \"waves\" in the Ether, or \"something that takes the place of the\nEther,\" has been mentioned in other parts of the book. Referring again\nto it, the writer would say that he thinks it probable that the \"waves\"\ncoming in contact with the countless Corpuscles in the Earth's\natmosphere, communicate a high rate of motion to them, the result being\nthat they take on the vibrations immediately, and pass along with the\n\"wave\" current--the result being that much that we consider as waves of\nLight, Heat and Electricity are but streams of these Corpuscles in which\nvibrations have been awakened by the \"waves.\" This idea will help to\nexplain some of the phenomena of Light, which seemed more understandable\nunder the old Light-Corpuscle theory of Newton than under the \"wave\"\ntheory of recent years. The idea is advanced merely for the purpose of\nsetting down the thought, for it plays no important part in the theory\nof the book.\n\nAnother matter that should not be overlooked in connection with Light\nand Heat and Electricity is that Particles absorb or \"catch\" the\nvibrations in different degrees, their receptivity depending upon their\nparticular vibratory mode, or \"custom of their kind.\" If unable to\n\"absorb\" the vibrations, they \"reflect\" them. Substance, of any\nparticular kind, absorb Heat in the degree of its atomic weight.\n\nIn the next chapter we shall learn something of The Law of Attraction,\nthat wonderful Law that makes possible any Motion or Radiant Energy.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER X\n\nTHE LAW OF ATTRACTION\n\n\nIn the previous chapters we have seen that all forms of Radiant Energy,\n_viz._, Light, Heat, Electricity and Magnetism, arose from the Motion of\nthe Particles of Substance. It now becomes important to learn just what\ncause this \"Motions of the Particles.\" Science is somewhat hazy and\nfoggy on this subject, but in a general way decides that it is caused by\n\"the mutual relations and positions of the particles, arising from their\nrespective attractive qualities,\" as a recent writer has expressed it.\nWell, this is better than the old way of seeking refuge and retreat in a\nmere volume of dense words. It is indeed the only logical conclusion,\nthis one that the operations of the Law of Attraction are manifested in\nthe Motion of the Particles.\n\nThis great Law of Attraction is the greatest Law in Nature. It operates\non all planes of life. It is always in evidence. Let us consider it.\n\nLet us begin by considering the most magnificent and constant\nexhibition of that Law--Gravitation. Gravitation is the Riddle of the\nUniverse, and the one form of Energy that balks Science--so much a\nmystery that Science does not even hazard a \"guess\" at its nature--no\ntheory of the origin and nature of Gravitation is to be found in \"the\nbooks.\" Let us see what Gravitation is.\n\nIt is more than the power that \"pulls things to the earth,\" as the\naverage man would define it. It does more than cause water to run\ndown hill, and turn mill-wheels to drive machinery. Water-power\nresults from Gravitation, but even the Energy of Niagara Falls is\ninsignificant when compared to the other manifestations of the Mother of\nEnergy--Gravitation.\n\nWebster defines Gravitation as: \"That attraction or force by which all\nbodies or particles in the universe tend toward each other.\"\n\nFollowing that definition, let us add that: _Every particle of Substance\nhas an attraction for every other particle_.\n\nIn view of our belief that this \"attraction\" is a form of mental effort,\nlet us regard the term \"Attraction\" as being a form of what we call\n\"Desire,\" or even \"Love,\" in the mental world. If you will think of it\nin this way, you will be better able to fall in with our lines of\nthought.\n\nAnd, in addition to every particle of Substance having an attraction\n(love or desire) for every other particle, _it has the means and power\nto draw that other particle toward itself, and to move toward that other\nparticle at the same time_. Webster gives a very clear idea of this when\nhe defines Attraction as: \"_An invisible power in a body by which it\ndraws anything to itself; the power in nature acting mutually between\nbodies, or ultimate particles, tending to draw them together, or to\nproduce their cohesion or combination, and conversely resisting\nseparation_.\"\n\nThe majority of persons, when thinking of \"Gravitation,\" are satisfied\nwith the idea that it is a power that \"pulls things down to the ground,\"\nand do not think of it as a force that \"pulls things\" other ways besides\n\"down,\" and which is possessed and exercised by the speck of dust as\nwell as by the whole earth--by the molecule as well as by the mass. The\nreason of this is that this power is so slight in small bodies of\nSubstance that it is unnoticed; and that only when the mass is\nsufficiently large to make the \"pull\" strong does one perceive and\nappreciate that the force exists. The lack of information on the part of\nthe average person regarding this subject is amazing, particularly when\nthe importance of the knowledge is understood.\n\nThe attraction that holds the molecules of Substance together is\nGravitation. The attraction that \"pulls\" a piece of Substance to the\nearth is Gravitation. The attraction that keeps the suns and planets in\ntheir orbits is Gravitation. Let us see the operations of the Law.\n\nIn Astronomy you may learn that the movements of the planets around the\nsun and the moons around their planets--their regular and constant\nrelative positions--are caused by the force of Gravitation. If it were\nnot for this attraction by the Sun, the planets would fly out into\nspace, like a stone from a sling. The Attraction of Gravitation acts on\nthe planets just as does the string of the whirling sling that keeps the\nstone from flying away during the whirling until the string is released.\nSome astronomers think that our sun revolves around some greater sun,\nand this again around a greater, and so on to infinity. If this be so,\nthen the Attraction of Gravitation is that which holds them all in their\norbits and places in spite of their motion.\n\nAnd in Physics, you may learn that this same Attraction of Gravitation\nprevents the people and objects on the surface of the earth from flying\noff into space. And that it holds the portions of the earth together,\npreventing them from flying apart.\n\nAnd, remember this, for it is important--the Attraction of the Earth,\ngreat and powerful as it is, is nothing more than the _combined_\nattractive power of its constituent molecules, or atoms, or parts. The\ncentre of the Earth is the Centre of the Attraction, because it is the\ncentre of the aggregation of its Particles.\n\nIt must not be supposed that the Earth simply attracts \"downward,\" that\nis, toward its centre. On the contrary, large masses of earth--large\nmountains, for instance--exert a certain degree of Attraction of\nGravitation, and experiments have shown that a \"plumb\" is slightly\ndeflected by reason of the proximity of a large mountain. And the reason\nthat bodies \"lose weight\" as they descend from the surface of the earth\nis because they leave \"above\" them a certain large portion of the\nmolecules composing the earth, which mass of molecules exert an\nattraction proportionate to their mass, which attraction balances the\nattraction of the mass of earth \"beneath them.\"\n\nScience teaches that if the earth were hollow in the centre, the weight\nthere would be Zero, or nothing at all, and that a body would float in\nthe space at the centre of the earth just as does a balloon in the air,\nthe reason thereof being that the attraction would be equalized--equal\nattraction from every direction, counterbalancing each other.\nConsidering the earth's radius to be 4000 miles, a body that weighed 100\npounds on the surface would weigh but 75 pounds at the depth of 1000\nmiles; but 50 pounds at a depth of 2000 miles; but 25 pounds at a depth\nof 3000 miles; and Nothing, or Zero, at a depth of 4000 miles, which\nwould be the Centre of the Earth. This, of course, supposes that the\nSubstance of which the earth is composed is of uniform density from\nsurface to centre.\n\nFrom an equal distance above the surface of the earth, bodies released,\nor dropped, will reach the surface at exactly the same degree of speed,\nand in exactly the same time--this irrespective of weight or size. In\nother words, a cork or piece of lead, no matter what their sizes may be,\nwill travel with equal rapidity. In case where the \"lighter\" substance\ntravels more slowly (compare a feather and bullet, for instance) the\ndifference is caused by the light object meeting with more resistance\nfrom the air. This apparent exception has been explained away by the\nexperiment of dropping the bullet and the feather in a vacuum tube, in\nwhich there was no resistance from air, the consequence being that both\ndescended precisely at the same instant. Another similar experiment is\nto place the feather upon a piece of iron whereby the resistance of the\nair is prevented, and the feather will maintain its position during the\ndrop, and will reach the ground resting on top of the iron, just as it\nstarted.\n\nAnd, remember this please, that the small object attracted by the earth\nexerts an attraction on its own account. If the two were of the same\nsize they would exert an equal attracting power, but as one is smaller\nits attracting power is very slight compared with that of the large\nmass. But it is true that the particle of dust attracts the earth\nprecisely as the earth attracts the particle of dust--the difference\nbeing solely a matter of degree depending upon the \"mass\" of the body.\nThe amount or degree of the _combined_ attracting power is determined by\nthe combined total of the two masses. Distance lessens the degree of\nattraction--thus as bodies are lifted above the earth the weight\ndecreases very gradually, and by very slight degrees, but constantly and\ninvariably. The poles of the earth are flattened, and, consequently, the\nweight of an object slightly increases as it is carried from equator to\npole.\n\nConcluding our consideration of Gravitation, it will be well to call\nyour attention to the fact that Gravitation differs from the forms of\nRadiant Energy known as Heat, Light, Electricity and Magnetism in\nseveral very important particulars, which seems to go far in the\ndirection of proof that the latter are by incidents or consequences of\nthe former.\n\nIn the first place, Gravitation, so far as is known, is not dependent\nupon, caused by, or maintained by, any other Force or form of Energy.\nNor does it seem to be derived from some great reservoir, from which it\nobtains its supply of Energy. On the contrary, it seems to be a\n\"thing-in-itself,\" self-supporting, self-existing--an intrinsic thing,\nin fact. It does not seem to be lost to bodies by radiation. And\nconsequently there seems to be no need of a body replenishing its\nsupply, as there is no loss. Gravitation seems to be a constant\n_something_, remaining always with bodies and neither being lost or\nacquired. It exists between the Atoms, Molecules, Masses--all in the\nsame way. In fact, one is tempted to think of the planets and worlds in\nspace, as Molecules of some greater Mass held together by Gravitation\njust as are the Molecules held together. Remember, that the Molecules\nand Atoms are not in absolute contact, _but there is always a \"space\"\nbetween them_, although the space or distance may be \"insensible\" to us.\n\"As above, so below,\" says the old occult aphorism, and it seems to be\nso.\n\nThen again, Gravitation is believed to act _instantaneously_, and does\nnot require Time to pass between bodies, as does Light, Heat,\nElectricity, Magnetism--Radiant Energy. Light travels through the Ether\n(as light-waves) at the rate of 184,000 miles a second. The same is true\nof Heat and of Electricity. But Gravitation travels instantaneously. For\ninstance, if a new star were to spring into existence at some\ninconceivable distance from the earth it would require thousands of\nyears for its light to reach us. But its Attraction of Gravitation would\nbe felt _instantly_. Do you realize what this means? It means that\nGravitation is in some way connected with the Ether, or \"conveying\nmedium,\" that an impulse communicated at some point of space trillions\nof miles away is felt _at once_ at our point in space, and vice versa.\nThere is some awful mystery here, and the laws of Substance, and Force,\nas generally understood, do not account for it. And the theories\nregarding the Ether do not throw light upon it. _But wait a bit!_\n\nBut more than this. Science holds that Gravitation _does not require a\nmedium_--that it seems to be its own medium--needing no \"Ether\" or other\nmedium to transmit its influence. In this respect also, Gravitation\ndiffers from the form of Radiant Energy. And more, it is not \"cut-off\"\nor interfered with by any intervening body, for its force operates\nthrough such intervening bodies. For instance, in an eclipse of the Sun,\nthe Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, but the Gravitation is\nnot affected in the slightest, for the bodies would evidence such change\nimmediately were it to occur.\n\nSo Gravitation acts instantaneously; is its own medium, and may not be\ninterfered with by an intervening body. It, indeed, is in a different\n\"class\" from Light, Heat and Electricity.\n\nAnd now let us consider the other forms of Attraction.\n\nIn the previous chapters we saw that the form of Attraction called\n\"Cohesion\" caused the molecules to tend to each other, and to remain in\nmore or less close contact, the differing degrees of Cohesion\ndetermining the Density, etc., of the body. Were the Attractive force of\nCohesion suddenly removed, the most solid bodies, as well as the\nlightest ones, would instantly fly into very fine powder, thus being\nresolved into their constituent molecules. The separation of the\nMolecules, that is, the \"setting further apart,\" occasioned by Heat, is\nspoken of by Physicists as \"Repulsion.\" But the writer holds that\nrepulsion is an entirely different thing, and that the heat merely\ncauses the Molecules to lose a portion of their Attractive power for\neach other. Until the heat being withdrawn, the Molecules respond to the\nuninterrupted Attraction. The Molecules are like lovers who are\nattracted toward each other, and remain attached unless separated\nviolently, or by some fading of Attraction. Consider Heat as a\ndisturbing element--a \"misunderstanding\" between the molecular lovers,\nwho under its influence draw somewhat apart, and are only reunited when\nthe obstacle is removed, and harmony again manifested.\n\nAs we have shown you in a previous chapter, the so-called \"properties\"\nof Matter, _i.e._, Hardness, Tenacity, Malleability, Ductility, etc.,\nare simply evidence of a persistent Cohesiveness of the Molecules--a\nstrong \"love\" or \"desire\" for each other that caused them to adopt every\npossible means in their power to resist, and prevent, the separation of\nthe Molecules forming the mass. It was like a desperate attempt to\nprevent the \"breaking up of the family.\"\n\nEach so-called Special Physical Property of Matter is seen to be but the\naction of the Molecule resisting separation, in obedience to that law of\nits being called \"Attraction,\" or \"Gravitation,\" or \"Cohesion,\" or\n\"Adhesion\"--but which might as fitly be called \"Desire,\" or \"Love.\" And,\nremember, that this law does not seem to be merely one of\nself-preservation of the Molecule--for it remains intact even after the\nseparation from its companions or family. It is more, for it is a law\nthat causes it to bend all its energies in remaining within \"molecular\ndistance\" or close companionship with its family, and resisting\ndisintegration. It is like the \"social instinct\" in Man, if one may be\npardoned from using the figure.\n\nNow for the Attraction of the Atoms--\"Chemical Affinity,\" or \"Chemism,\"\nas it is called. An Atom, you know, is the chemical unit of Matter, and\nthe smallest particle of Matter that can enter into combination (leaving\nthe Corpuscle out of the consideration, for the moment). These Atoms\nexhibit and manifest an Attraction for each other that causes them to\nform combinations or \"marriages,\" and thus to combine, forming a\nmolecule. But remember, always, that when Atoms \"combine\" they do not\nmerge their identities--they simply \"marry,\" and nothing more. Each atom\nmaintains its own identity, and is found intact if the \"marriage\" is\ndestroyed by chemical process, which might be called the termination of\nthe molecular marriage, by \"divorce,\" that is, by one Atom forsaking\nits mate and seeking a new \"affinity\" in the shape of some more\nattractive (or attracting) Atom. For, alas, the Atoms are more or less\nfickle, and often leave their life-partners for some other fascinating\nParticle. At times there is manifested a condition of \"how happy could I\nbe with either, were t'other fair charmer away\"--there is a conflict of\nattractions.\n\nThere is more \"flirting\" and \"affairs of the heart\" in the world of\nAtoms than in the region of the Molecules, for while the latter are apt\nto seek only the companionship of their own \"family,\" or some nearly\nrelated family, the Atoms have quite a number of possible \"affinities,\"\nand will invariably desert a lesser attraction for a greater one (thus\nforming a new molecule) and leave the deserted one to get along alone as\nbest it may, or else form a new alliance with some other affinity who is\neither impervious to the attraction of the more brilliant charmer, or\nelse is out of the danger of temptation.\n\nBut, if we analyze and carefully consider this \"Chemical Affinity,\"\n\"Chemism,\" we will see that it comes well under the definition of\n\"Attraction\" as given by Webster, and quoted in the first part of this\nchapter. It certainly comes under the rule of \"_the power in nature\nacting mutually between bodies, or ultimate particles, tending to draw\nthem together_,\" etc.\n\nThe writer thinks that he is justified in asking you to consider\nGravitation, Cohesion, Adhesion and Chemical Affinity as related forms\nof the same thing. If you do not like to call this \"same thing\" by the\nname of \"Gravitation,\" suppose we call it \"The Law of Attraction,\" of\nwhich Gravitation, Cohesion, Adhesion, Chemical Affinity or Chemism are\nbut different aspects. (This \"relation\" is described in Chapter XIII.)\n\nAnd the writer believes that this \"Law of Attraction\" is the underlying\ncause of all that we call Energy, Force, Power, Motion, etc., in the\nPhysical world. For if \"Gravitation\" accounts for all \"Mass Motion,\" or\n\"Mechanical Motion\"--if Molecular Cohesion, and the vibrations\naccompanying it, manifest in forms of \"Molecular Motion\"--and if Atomic\n\"Chemical Affinity\" or \"Chemism,\" manifest in \"Atomic Motion\"--and if\neven the Corpuscles in their movements obey this same \"Law of\nAttraction\" in some form--and if all Force and Energy is but a \"Mode of\nMotion\"--then, if all this be true, are we not justified in claiming\nthat this \"Law of Attraction\" is the Basis of All Energy, Force and\nMotion? And are we not justified in thinking of this \"Law of\nAttraction\" as always manifesting in the direction of drawing together\nparticles of Substance--be those particles suns, planets, masses,\nmolecules, atoms or corpuscles--in pursuance of some basic law imposed\nupon All-things, by That-which-is-above-Things?\n\nThe following quotation is interesting, in our consideration of this\nsubject:\n\n\"There are other forces besides gravity, and one of the most active of\nthese is chemical affinity. Thus, for instance, an atom of oxygen has a\nvery strong attraction for one of carbon, and we may compare these two\natoms to the earth and a stone lodged upon the top of a house. Within\ncertain limits, this attraction is intensely powerful, so that when an\natom of carbon and one of oxygen have been separated from each other, we\nhave a species of energy of position just as truly as when a stone has\nbeen separated from the earth. Thus by having a large quantity of oxygen\nand a large quantity of carbon in separate states, we are in possession\nof a large store of _energy_ of position. When we allowed the stone and\nthe earth to rush together, the _energy_ of position was transformed\ninto that of actual motion, and we should therefore expect something\nsimilar to happen when the separated carbon and oxygen are allowed to\nrush together. This takes place when we burn coal in our fires, and the\nprimary result, as far as _energy_ is concerned, is the production of a\nlarge amount of heat. We are, therefore, led to conjecture that heat may\ndenote a motion of particles on the small scale just as the rushing\ntogether of the stone and the earth denotes a motion on the large. It\nthus appears that we may have invisible molecular energy as well as\nvisible mechanical _energy_.\"--_Balfour Stewart._\n\nTo the writer it seems that the Particle of Substance finds within its\nMind-principle (for you know we have seen that all Substance had\nsomething akin to Life and Mind) a constant craving, imbedded in its\nvery nature, which causes it to seek Satisfaction. This craving for\nSatisfaction results in Unrest, and seeks a solution along two lines.\nThese two lines are indicated by two entirely different Desires that it\nfinds within itself--the first being a Desire or Inclination to seek the\ncompanionship of some other Particle--the second being a Desire or\nInclination to be Free of Attachment or Entanglement.\n\nThe Desire for Attachment arises from the force of the Law of Attraction\nthat exists between each Particle of Substance. The Desire for\nNon-attachment arises from some inward inclination for Freedom. These\ntwo Desires or Inclinations may be called the Desire for Impression and\nthe Desire for Expression.\n\nThe Desire for Impression (or pressing in) manifests along lines of\naction tending toward Attachment, Moreness, Companionship, Combination.\nThe Desire for Expression (or pressing out) manifests along the lines of\naction tending toward Individuality, Freedom, Independence,\nUnattachment, etc. And both are strong cravings--and both tend to\nproduce Unrest, which results in Motion. The \"pull\" of the Desire of\nImpression exists always, and is always modified and counteracted by the\n\"push\" of the Desire for Expression. And, resulting from the play of\nthese two Desires, or Forces, result Activity, Motion and Change. Like\nthe two conflicting angels in the Persian mythology--Ahriman and\nOrmuzd--these two Desires wrestle with each other in the theatre of the\nUniverse--constant Motion and Change being the results.\n\nAnd, if the writer may be pardoned for dropping into Mysticism for the\nmoment, may it not be that these conflicting Desires for Separateness\nand Unity, respectively, are but different forms of the Desire for\nSatisfaction through Oneness. Impression seeks Oneness by combination\nwith other separated Particles, _but finds it not_. Expression seeks\nOneness by drawing apart and endeavoring to realize it in that way,\n_but finds it not_. But both are but different aspects of the same\nDesire for Satisfaction, and only when the Mind recognizes Oneness in\nDiversity does Satisfaction come. And thus the lesson of the Particle\nbecomes the Lesson of the Man.\n\nThese conflicting Desires of Inclinations of the Particles--the one\nurging it along the lines of Attraction--the other along the lines of\nSeparation--produce the Dance of the Atoms--the Motion of the Particles.\n\nWhen the Particle manifests along the lines of Expression it pushes\nitself away from the other Particle, and, consequently, also pushes the\nother Particle away. When it manifests along the lines of Impression, it\npulls itself toward the other Particle, and at the same time pulls the\nother Particle toward itself. In both cases the \"medium\" of the pulling\nextends over the space separating them, as will be described in future\nchapters. This pulling and pushing is called by Chemistry \"Attraction\nand Repulsion\" of the Particles.\n\nIt is perhaps unnecessary to state that the Force of the Attraction of\nCohesion or of Chemical Affinity is much stronger than that of\nGravitation, in the case of the same Particles. Otherwise, if one picked\nup a piece of iron, the Attraction of Gravitation would cause its\nparticles to separate and fall to the ground, whereas, the Attraction of\nCohesion and that of Chemical Affinity enable the Particles to\ncounteract the pull of Gravitation, and thus remain intact. Compared\nwith Cohesion or Chemical Affinity, the pull of Gravitation is\nincomparably weak. The force which holds together two atoms of water\nrepresents a high degree of dynamic power, and the shock of forcible\nseparation of chemical atoms produces something akin to an explosion. So\nwe see that the Attraction of the Particles, while of the same nature as\nGravitation, is much higher in intensity.\n\nBut notwithstanding the power of the Attraction, it seems to be a matter\ninherent in the nature of the Particle, and to represent a something\nlike Will, in response to Desire.\n\nThe varying \"push and pull\" or the two Desires, would necessarily cause\na revolution of each Particle on its own axis, and a revolution around\neach other--besides many instances of rushing together and away from\neach other. In these forms of Motion is to be found the cause of the\nvibrations producing Radiant Energy, known as Light, Heat, Electricity\nand Magnetism.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XI\n\nTHE THEORY OF DYNAMIC THOUGHT\n\n\nFrom the preceding chapters we have learned that:\n\n(1) The forms of Force or Radiant Energy, known as Light, Heat,\nMagnetism and Electricity, are \"Modes of Motion,\" arising from the\nOriginal Motion of the Particles of Substance (Molecules, Atoms,\nCorpuscles or Electrons). And that such Original Motion of the Particles\narises from the Operation of The Law of Attraction;\n\n(2) That the forms of Attractive Force or Energy, known as Gravitation,\nCohesion, Adhesion, Atomic Attraction, Chemical Affinity or Chemism, and\nCorpuscular Attraction, also arise from the operation of the Law of\nAttraction;\n\n(3) That, from the above, it follows that: All Manifestations of Force\nand Energy in Inorganic Substance (_viz._, both Radiant Energy in its\nforms of Light, Heat, Magnetism, Electricity, etc.; and also Attractive\nEnergy in its forms of Gravitation, Cohesion, Adhesion, Chemical\nAffinity or Atomic Attraction and Corpuscular Attraction) arise from the\noperation of the Law of Attraction.\n\nIt will be well to remember that the fact that some of the above forms\nof Radiant Force or Energy, such as Heat, Light, Magnetism and\nElectricity, may arise from Motion transmitted from other Substance,\ndoes not alter the matter. For if they arise from \"waves\" from some\nother Substance, it merely follows that the Original Motion that gave\nrise to the \"waves\" arose from the operation of the Law of Attraction.\nOr, if they arise from \"interrupted Motion,\" it merely follows that the\nMotion that is interrupted may be traced back to Original Motion that\narose from the operation of the Law of Attraction. So that all\nMechanical Power, and all the forms of Energy or Force producing the\nsame (omitting for the moment the forms of Energy or Force of \"Living\nOrganisms,\" which will be described later on) arise from the operation\nof the Law of Attraction.\n\nNow, for the next step. We have seen that the operation of the Law of\nAttraction results from Vital-Mental Action on the part of the Life and\nMind Principle inherent in the nature of the Particles of Substance.\nConsequently, all forms of Energy and Force arising from the operation\nof The Law of Attraction--the latter being the result of Vital-Mental\nAction--then it follows that:\n\n_All forms of Energy and Force having its origin in the Law of\nAttraction are manifestations of Vital-Mental Action._\n\nBut this is not all--for we have not considered the Energy and Force\nabiding in, and manifested by, what are called \"Living Organisms,\" such\nas human, animal and plant life, which are manifested by the physical\norganisms or \"bodies\" of man, animal and plant. In order to avoid a long\ndigression into the realms of biology, we will omit all but a passing\nreference to the theories that seek to identify the action of the cells\nof organic life with those of the particles of inorganic life--for\nremember, that Organic Substance has its Molecules, Atoms and\nCorpuscles, as well as its higher combinations known as \"Cells\"--and we\nwill seek the ultimate source of all forms of Force and Energy,\nexhibited by \"Organic Life,\" in that which lies back of \"Physical\nAction.\" We need no argument here--for all will readily recognize that\nbehind the physical action of man, animal and plant, lies Life and Mind,\nand that therefore all Force and Energy arising from such action must be\nmanifestations of Vital-Mental Action.\n\nAnd so, summing up our conclusions regarding Force and Energy and Motion\nin Inorganic Substance--and then in Organic Substance--we arrive at an\nunderstanding of the Basic Proposition of the Theory of Dynamic Thought,\nwhich is as follows:\n\nBASIC PROPOSITION.--_That All forms and exhibition of Force, Energy,\nMotion and Power are manifestations of Vital-Mental Action. And that,\nconsequently, at the last there is no Force but Vital-Mental Force; no\nEnergy but Vital-Mental Energy; no Motion but Vital-Mental Motion; no\nPower but Vital-Mental Power._\n\nIt is possible that the average reader will fail to recognize the\ntremendous importance of the above proposition. It is most\nrevolutionary, and is not only directly opposed to the Materialistic\ntheory which makes Matter the dominant factor--the only factor, in\nfact--in Life; but it is also far different from the opinion of the\naverage person who has been taught to think of \"blind force,\" \"dead\nmatter,\" \"mechanical energy,\" \"power of machinery, engines,\" etc. And\nyet, you are invited to go back over the path that leads up to the\ntheory, and test and examine every bit of the road for weak\nspots--insecure bridges, etc.--the writer feels that the work will bear\nexamination. He thinks that he has succeeded not only in proving that\n(1) The Universe is Alive and Thinking; and (2) That Mind is\nDominant--but he believes, also, that he has made at least partially\nunderstandable the old occult and metaphysical aphorism that has been\nheard so much in these later days--the statement that \"All is Mind--Mind\nis All.\"\n\nThe only fact needed now is the proof of the old occult theory that\nMatter or Substance blends gradually into Mind, and that in the end it\nis found to have its origin there. So far, Science has not given us this\nproof, but it begins to look that way, although Science does not dream\nof what lies at the end of the road she is travelling. She tells us that\nshe sees Matter melting into Force or Energy, and that perhaps the\nUniverse may be found to be Energy or Force, at the last. But she\nignores the fact that her investigations have already proven (to those\nwho know how to combine them) that Mind is back of Force--that all Force\nis Mental Force, at the last. And, so, you see it is not so far a cry\nfrom Matter to Mind in these days of the Twentieth Century. The bridge\nis being erected by the Materialists, but the Mentalist will be the\nfirst to cross over it.\n\nBut there are many important questions ahead of us for consideration in\nrelation to the Theory of Dynamic Thought. And we must hasten on to\nthem.\n\nOne of the first questions that must be considered is that of the\ntransmission of Force, Energy or Motion. Science has told us that Light\ntravels and is \"contagious,\" that Heat travels and is \"contagious,\" that\nElectricity travels and is \"contagious,\" that Magnetism travels and is\n\"contagious.\" But is has failed to find evidences of Cohesive Force, or\nAdhesive Force, or the Force of Gravitation, or the Force of Chemical\nAffinity, or the Force of Corpuscular Affinity, being \"contagious,\" and\nalthough it recognizes that they must \"travel\" beyond the limits of the\nbodies manifesting them, yet it has hazarded no theory or hypothesis,\nworthy of the name, to account for the phenomenon. It informs us that\nLight, Heat, Magnetism and Electricity \"travel\" (via waves of the\n\"Ether\") at the rate of 184,000 miles per second--and that when they\nreach their destination the \"Ether waves\" set up similar vibrations in\nthe Substance with which they come in contact. The only explanation of\nthe method or medium of \"travel\" is the \"Aristotle's Ether\" Theory,\nwhich, while generally accepted as a working hypothesis, nevertheless,\nbrings a broad smile to the face of any thoughtful scientist who\nconsiders it in detail. As for the medium of the transmission of\nGravitation, Cohesion, Chemical Affinity and Molecular Affinity, Science\nis mute. All that she says is that Gravitation is believed to travel\n_instantaneously_ over distances that it takes Light, travelling at the\nrate of 184,000 miles per second, _over two thousand years_ to travel.\nVerily, Gravitation defies Scientific theories and estimates, and laughs\nat the \"Ether.\" Let us see if the Dynamic Thought Theory throws any\nlight on the subject!\n\nThe first step in the solution of the problem of the transferring and\ncommunication of Energy is the remembrance of the fact that the Energy\nis _purely Mental_. Be it Gravitation, Affinity or Attraction, on the\none hand--or Light, Heat, Magnetism or Electricity on the other--it is\nall Mental Force. Attraction in all of its forms has been recognized as\nMental Action. And the vibrations that cause Light, Heat, Magnetism and\nElectricity have been seen to result from the Law of Attraction, and,\ntherefore, are Mental. This being the case, would it not be wise for us\nto look for a solution of the transmission of Force and Energy in the\nregion from which it originated--_the Mental Region_? Does not this seem\nreasonable? Should not the explanation for Mental Effects be sought in a\nMental Cause? And should not the medium between Mind and Mind be looked\nfor in the Mental Region?\n\nTaking the liberty of peeping into some of the succeeding chapters of\nthis book--getting a little ahead of the story, as it were--let us\nconsider the operation of Mind in the higher forms of Life. Without\nargument, or proof at this point, let us remember the well-founded\nstatements of fact--and the old occult teachings as well--that the Mind\nis not confined to the limits of the body, but extends as an \"Aura\" for\nsome distance beyond the physical form. Let us also remember the\nphenomena grouped together under the general subject of\n\"Thought-transference,\" \"Thought-transmission,\" \"Telepathy,\" or (the\nbest term of all) \"Telesthesia\" (meaning, literally \"far-off\nsensation\"). The writer imagines that he hears the yell of derision go\nup at this point from the materialistic personage, or \"man on the\nstreet,\" who has been induced to read this book by some well meaning\nfriend. \"Thought-transference, Fiddlesticks,\" we may hear him cry, in\nimagination. But let this reader remember--Fiddlesticks, or no\nFiddlesticks--that Thought-transmission is a proven fact--and that\nthousands of people _know_ it to be so, absolutely, from their own\nexperience. It is too late in the day for sneers at the mention of the\nterm.\n\nWell, then, since Force is Mental, and we are looking for a Mental\nexplanation for the phenomenon of Transmission of Force, does it not\nseem natural to consider Thought-transmission in that connection?\nAnswering a possible objection of some critical reader, to the effect\nthat before a \"sensation\" may be received, the receiver must have\n\"sense-organs\"--a very good objection, but one that is answered by\nScience itself--let us read on.\n\nHaeckel, the distinguished scientist, in his endeavor to prove that\nMan's senses are but a development of something in inorganic life, has\ncalled our attention to the fact that Molecules, and Atoms, are capable\nof \"receiving\" sensations and \"responding\" thereto. He makes quite a\npoint of this in his latest works, and remarks, among many other things\nshowing his positive views on the subject of \"sensation in the inorganic\nworld\": \"_I cannot imagine the simplest chemical and physical process\nwithout attributing the movements of the material particles to\nunconscious sensation_\"; and again: \"_The idea of chemical affinity\nconsists in the fact that the various chemical elements perceive the\nqualitative differences in other elements--experience 'pleasure' or\n'revulsion' at contact with them, and execute specific movements on this\nground_.\" He also quotes, approvingly, the remarks of Nageli, who said:\n\"_If the molecules possess something that is related, however distantly,\nto sensation, it must be comfortable to be able to follow their\nattractions and repulsions; uncomfortable when they are forced to do\notherwise_.\" Haeckel also says that in his opinion _the sensations in\nanimal and plant life are \"connected by a long series of evolutionary\nstages with the simpler forms of sensation that we find in the inorganic\nelements, and that reveal themselves in chemical affinity_.\" Is not this\nstrong enough? Perhaps we may now be permitted at least to \"assume\" that\neven the Atoms, Molecules and Corpuscles have \"something like\nsensation.\"\n\nSome one may now object that Haeckel speaks of \"contact\" between the\nparticles, and that sensation by contact (even in an atom) is far\ndifferent from sensation without contact, at a short distance. Quite\nright, but if the objector will take the trouble to review the teachings\nof Science regarding the relation of the Particles, he will see that the\nParticles are _never \"exactly\" in contact_, except in moments of\ncollision, which, by the way, they carefully avoid. The Corpuscles, as\nwe have shown, have _\"plenty of room\" in which to move about_, and they\nmove in orbits around each other. The Atoms combine, _but there is\nalways room between them_, as may be seen by reference to the teachings\nregarding the \"Ether,\" which \"fills up the cracks\" according to the\ntheory. And the Molecules _also have \"plenty of room,\"_ as may be seen\nby reference to that part of the subject, particularly to the comparison\nof the drop of water magnified to the size of the Earth, in which the\nMolecules would appear about the size of the original drop _with more\nroom between each than their own size_.\n\nIn fact, as we have been shown in a previous chapter, the particles are\nattracted only to a certain distance, at which they resist the impulse\nor attraction and \"stand off\" a bit. They will not be forced too near\nwithout creating disturbances, and manifestations of force, and if they\nare separate beyond a certain distance the attractive power ceases to\noperate. But _there is always some room between them_, and they bridge\nover that room and exert and receive the attractive power _in some way_.\nThis is true not only of the particles but of the great bodies, like the\nEarth and planets, that are attracted, and attract over great distances.\nNow for the question: \"How do they exert sense and attractive power over\nthe great comparative distance--great, comparatively, as well in atom,\nas in planet and sun?\"\n\nSome one may answer the question closing the last paragraph with the\nword \"_Electricity_.\" Very good--Electricity, like the \"Ether,\" comes in\nquite handy when one is forced to explain something not known.\n\"Electricity,\" like the \"Glacial Period,\" \"Aristotle's Ether,\" \"Natural\nLaws,\" and \"Suggestion,\" is a most handy weapon of argument, and often\nacts as a preventative to further inquiry and investigation until some\nsufficiently irreverent of precedent arises to ask, \"But Why and How?\"\nand starts the ball rolling again.\n\nBut \"Electricity\" will not answer in this case, for the rate of the\n\"travel\" of Electricity is well known--184,000 miles per second, which,\nfast as it is, assumes the crawl of a \"slow-freight\" when compared with\nthe \"instantaneous\" rate of travel of Gravitation. And then Electricity\nrequires a \"medium\" and Gravitation does not, and in many other ways the\ntwo are seen to be totally different. And in the case of the Space between\nthe Atom and Molecule and Corpuscle, it is no more reasonable to say\n\"Electricity\" than it would be to say \"Heat\" or \"Light\"; and \"Magnetism\" is\nnot available for obvious reasons. Remember that Electricity, Light and\nHeat are _caused_ by Motion resulting from Attraction, and _the child\ncannot procreate the parent_. Heat, Light and Electricity may beget each\nother (and they do). And Gravitation may procreate Heat, Light and\nElectricity. But Heat, Light and Electricity _cannot procreate\nGravitation_--Never! And Light, Heat and Electricity require replenishing\nfrom the common source of Energy, but Gravitation is self-sufficient and\nasks no replenishing or storage-battery or power-house. Electricity, Heat\nand Light come and go, appearing, manifesting and disappearing, swallowed\nup by each other, or by Substance. But Gravitation is always\nthere--unchangeable--unwavering--immutable--invariable--Something above\nMatter and Force--something majestic, awe-inspiring, sublime! Does it\ntake a wild flight of the imagination to see that this Something, that\nis not Matter, and nor Force, _must be a manifestation of Mind_?\n\nLet us first apply this idea of Thought-transference to the operation of\nthe Law of Attraction between the Corpuscles, Atoms and Molecules of\nSubstance--the Particles of Substance. The particles are believed to\nmove to or away from each other in accordance with the workings of\nAttraction and Affinity, in its various degrees. First they must\n_desire_ to move--not Desire in the developed sense that we feel it, but\nstill elementary \"feeling,\" or \"inclination,\" or \"tendency\"--call it\nwhat you will, but it remains rudimentary Mental Emotion--an E-motion\nleading to Motion. (This is not a pun--look up the meaning of the word\nEmotion and you will see its application.)\n\nThen, following the Desire, comes the action in the direction of\ngratifying it. The Particles act to gratify Desire in two ways--acting\nat a \"distance,\" remember--they exert the Attractive Force, which the\nwriter believes to be Mental Force, _transmitted by Mind, projection_, a\nmental or psychic bond or connection being thus established. By means of\nthis bond of Mind, the Particle endeavors to (1) draw itself to the\nobject; and (2) to draw the object toward itself. In the case of the\nMolecule, this Desire and Movement seems to be mutual, and evidenced by\nand to all Molecules alike, _providing they be within Molecular\nDistance_, as Science calls it. But in the case of the Atoms, it seems\nto be different--for there is found a greater degree of \"choice,\" or\n\"elective affinity.\" This \"election\" or \"choice\" is not altogether free,\nbut depends upon the relative likes and dislikes of certain \"kinds\" of\nelements, as we have seen in previous chapters, although, to be sure,\nthese Elements are all made out of the same \"stuff\" in different\ncombinations.\n\nThe details of Corpuscular Attraction are not known, so it cannot be\ntold whether \"preferences\" exist, or whether (in the words of the\nstreet) all Corpuscles \"look alike\" to each other. It would appear,\nhowever, that there must be some reasons for preference, among the\nCorpuscles, else they would always form in the same combinations--always\nact alike to each other, as they are alike in other actions--and thus\nthere would be but _one_ Element or kind of Atom, formed, instead of the\n_seventy-five_, already known. To be sure, in this case, it _might_ be\nthat the _one_ kind of Atom formed would be the Atom of Hydrogen, and\nthat all other Elements, or Atoms, were modifications of that one--just\nproving the dream of the Scientists of the Nineteenth Century. But, as\nKipling would say, \"that is another story.\"\n\nTo return to the Particle which we left trying to draw the other\nParticle to itself, and itself toward the other. There is no _material_\nconnection between them (and Electricity and Magnetism will not answer),\nso what is to be done? Evidently the Particle knows, for it exerts _a\n\"drawing\" power or force by means of the Mental-connection_, and two\ncome together. The Particle evidently is able to exert a repelling or\n\"moving away\" power by reversing the process, the Mental-bond acting as\nthe medium. This may cause a smile, because we have never seen an\ninstance of bodies pulling themselves together by intangible \"bonds.\"\n_Haven't we?_ Then how about two pieces of magnetised steel, or two\nelectrified substances? Oh, that's different, you say. _Why, different?_\nIsn't _the bond intangible_? And, haven't we seen that both Electricity\nand Magnetism were Mental Actions also? Oh,--er--but well,--oh yes,\n_that's_ it--perhaps the Attracting Force is Magnetism or Electricity.\nNo, that will not do, for we have seen that Electricity and Magnetism\nwere _products_ of this Attraction, not _producers_ of it--the\nAttraction must come _before_ Electricity and Magnetism, not _after_\nthem--you are mixing Cause and Effect. And, even if you were right--and\nyou cannot be--wouldn't the Electrical or Magnetic Force be _called into\noperation, and directed by the Mental Action_, arising from the Desire?\nYou cannot get away from Mental Action when you study the Law of\nAttraction.\n\n\"But, how about the fact that Heat causes the Particles to change their\nvibrations, and draw apart, and all that sort of thing--and Electricity,\nlikewise?\" you may ask. \"Surely this takes the matter away from Mental\nAction, doesn't it?\" Well, the writer thinks that the phenomenon\nreferred to only helps to prove his theory. And he will endeavor to so\nprove to you.\n\nThe consideration of the facts related in this chapter, leads us to a\nsupplemental proposition to our Basic Proposition, which may be stated\nas follows:\n\nSUPPLEMENTAL PROPOSITION I.--_Not only is the Law of Attraction the\nmanifestation of a Mental Process, or Vital-Mental Action; but also the\nactual Force or Energy used in bringing the Particles of Substance in\ncloser relation, in accordance with that Law, is in its nature a Vital\nMental Force or Energy, operating between bodies or particles of\nSubstance, without a material medium._\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XII\n\nTHE LAW OF VIBRANT ENERGY\n\n\nIn previous chapters we have seen that the phenomena of Radiant Energy,\nknown as Light, Heat, Magnetism and Electricity, had their origin in the\nMotion of the Particles, the different classes of phenomena depending\nupon the particular degree and nature of the aforesaid Motion of\nParticles.\n\nWe have seen also that Radiant Energy could be communicated or\ntransmitted from one body of Substance to another. And that the\ncommunication of transmission might be accomplished not only by close\ncontact of the bodies, but by \"waves\" of some sort which were caused in\nsome \"medium\" (the Ether) by the vibrations of the Particles of the\nbody, and which \"waves,\" when they reached the other body, were\ntransformed into vibrations of the Particles corresponding to those\nmanifested in the first body. The idea has been illustrated by the\nsending telephone, the sound waves in the diaphragm of which were\ntransformed into waves of the Electric current, and thus passing along\nthe wires were transformed again into sound-waves by the diaphragm of\nthe receiving instrument.\n\nWe have seen, also in the preceding chapter, that the medium by which\nthese vibrations were transferred, transmitted, or communicated, might be\nsupposed to be Mind, the operation being akin to Thought-transference. Now\nlet us examine into the workings of the matter.\n\nIn the first place, we assume a certain state of vibration, existing in\na certain body of Substance--Heat, or Electricity for instance (either\nillustration will answer.) Another body of Substance is brought in close\ncontact with the first body, and the vibrations of Energy pass on to the\nsecond, not by \"waves\" but by a seeming actual passing of vibrations\nwithout the need of intervening \"waves.\" This, Science calls\ntransmission by Conduction, the theory being that the particles rapidly\n\"pass on\" the vibrations from one to another. Convection or conduction\nalong other forms of Substance, such as hot-air, hot-water-steam, etc.,\nis but a variation of the above, as Substance is the medium in both\ncases. The third form of transmission is by Radiation, whereby the\nvibrations are transmitted by \"waves\" in some medium other than\nSubstance (according to the theory), as we have described in a\npreceding paragraph, as well as in previous chapters. As a matter of\nfact, a careful analysis of the matter will show that even in the\n\"Conduction\" of the most solid Substance, there must be a \"_medium not\nSubstance_\" between the Particles of the Substance, _for the Particles\nalways have Space between them_--this being true of the Particles of\nAir, as well as those of Iron. _So there is always Space to be traversed\nby a \"medium not Substance.\"_ But we need not stop to split-hairs\nregarding this question, for the general explanation will explain this\nalso.\n\nNow, to get back to our body of Substance vibrating with Radiant Energy,\nseparated from a second body of Substance by a great distance--thousands\nof miles in fact--millions would be better--let us take two worlds, for\ninstance--the Sun and the Earth. Ignoring for the moment the explanation\nof Gravitations (which will be given later) and realizing that there _is\nno medium of Substance_ existing between the two bodies, we must grant\nthat there is a \"_medium not Substance_\" existing between them, either\npermanently or thrown out for the purpose of this special transmission.\nWe shall assume a medium existing before the need of the transmission\n(for reasons to be seen later.) Our Theory of Dynamic Thought, and\nThought-Transference between bodies of Substance, compels us to suppose\nthat this medium _is a Mental Connection, or Mental Relation, existing\nbetween the two bodies of Substance_. So, we must consider the question\nof this medium of Mind transmitting the vibrations of Radiant Energy\nfrom the Sun to the Earth. How can Mind conduct Radiant Energy? _It does\nnot conduct Radiant Energy_, but it does _transmit_--not Radiant\nEnergy--but the _Mental State that causes Radiant Energy Vibrations_.\n\nThis statement of a \"Mental State causing Radiant Energy Vibrations\"\nseems rather startling at first sight--but let us examine it. We have\nseen that the Radiant Energy was caused by the Motion or Vibrations of\nthe Particles, which Motion or Vibration was the result of the workings\nof the Law of Attraction, and which Law was but the manifestation of\nVital-Mental Action. And, at the last, the Vibrations of Radiant Energy\nare the result of peculiar or particular \"states\" of the Life and Mind\nof the Particle. The word \"State\" is derived from the Latin word\n_Status_, meaning \"position; standing,\" and is used generally in the\nsense of \"condition.\"\n\nThis Mental State of the Particle may be described as a state of\n\"_Emotional Excitement_.\" Let us pause a moment to consider the meaning\nof these words--it often helps us to understand a subject, if we examine\nthe real meaning of the words defining it. \"Emotion\" is derived from the\nLatin word _Emotum_, meaning \"to shake; to stir up\"--the Latin word\nbeing made up of two other words, _i.e._, _E_, meaning \"out\"; and Motum,\n\"to move.\" \"Emotion\" is defined as \"a moving or excitement of the mind.\"\n\"Excitement\" is derived from the Latin word _Excitare_, meaning \"to move\nout\"--the English word being defined as \"a calling to Activity; state of\nActive feeling; aroused Activity.\" So you see that the idea of _Active\nMotion_, and _Aroused Activity_, of Mind, permeates the term \"Emotional\nExcitement,\" that is used by the writer in connection with the Mental\nState causing vibration of the Particles of Substance. The single word,\n\"Excitement,\" will be used by the writer, hereafter, in the above\nconnection, in order to avoid complex terms. To those who still object\nto the use of a mental term in reference to motion of Substance, he\nmight remark that Science makes use of the term--\"Excite,\" and\n\"Excitement\"--in reference to Electrical phenomena, so that he is not\naltogether without support in the use of the word.\n\nNow to return again to our body of Substance--the Sun--the Particles of\nwhich are manifesting a great degree of \"Excitement,\" evidencing in\nVibrations producing the phenomenon of Radiant Energy. The excitement is\nshared equally by its Particles, the \"contagion\" having spread among\nthem. Even the Particles of its atmosphere are vibrating with\nExcitement, and evidencing Radiant Energy. The Sun is in direct Mental\nConnection with the Earth (as we shall see presently) and the Excitement\nis transmitted by Thought-Transference (along this Mental Connection) in\nthe shape of Dynamic Thought-waves of Excitement. These waves have a\nrate of speed of 184,000 miles per second--why this particular rate, or\nany rate at all, is not apparent; it being very evident, however, that\nthis particular kind of Mental Action--Excitement, or Thought--is not\ntransmitted _instantaneously_ as is the Mental Quality known as Desire,\nresulting in Attraction, or Gravitation, which seems to be rather a\nBasic quality, rather than a temporary disturbance or emotional\nexcitement. But the writer must not get ahead of his story.\n\nThe Excitement of the Particles of Substance composing the Sun is\n\"contagious,\" and the Thought-waves travel along the Mental Connection,\nor medium, at a wonderful rate of speed. Soon they come in contact with\nthe Mental Atmosphere of the Earth and the Excitement becomes manifest\nin Action, the Emotional Excitement being reproduced by the Particles of\nthe Earth's Substance nearest the surface which vibrate and manifest the\nRadiant Energy in spite of themselves, for the tendency among Particles\nis to \"settle down,\" and remain \"calm,\" rather than to participate in\nEmotional Excitement. They have acquired a normal and fixed rate of\nVibration, or Mental State, after many years, gradually changing from a\nhigh state of Excitement, to a comparative calm state. And, their\ntendency and inclination is Conservative, and they are disposed to\nresent and repel Radical states of Excitement or Disturbance, coming\nfrom other less Conservative Bodies.\n\nThe above fact partially explains why the communicated Excitement\nmanifests itself more strongly on the surface of the body \"exposed\" to\nthe contagion of Excitement. The Conservative influence is always at\nwork, and manages to absorb and equally distribute the Energy that is\nbeating down upon it, without allowing it to penetrate very far. The\nEnergy is used-up or absorbed, and neutralized by the lower vibrations\nof the Mass. The effort of the Energy coming from the sending Body is to\n\"bring-up\" the vibrations of the receiving body to the rate of the\nsender; while the effort of the receiving body is to resist this\neffort, and to reduce and \"bring-down\" the transmitted increased rate of\nvibration of the Particles immediately exposed to the contagion. In both\ncases the effort is toward \"equalization\" of the rate of vibrations.\nThis working of the law may be observed plainly in the case of Heat\nvibrations--the Energy seeming to wish to \"bring-up\" the vibrations or\ntemperature of the second body, while the latter resists this effort,\nand strives to \"bring-down\" the vibrations or temperature of those\nParticles of itself that have \"caught the Motion.\" The Energy is like a\nRadical Agitator who wishes to stir up an Excitement, leading to \"a\nchange,\" while the Body is like the Conservative element that prefers to\n\"let well enough alone,\" and resists the stirring-up process, and exerts\nitself to restore quiet, and to maintain accustomed conditions.\n\nThe explanation of the phenomenon given in any work on Physics or\nNatural Philosophy will answer fairly well in the consideration of this\nTheory of Dynamic Thought, the only important change being required,\nbeing the substitution of \"Thought-waves\" for \"Waves of the Ether\" of\nScience. Science has described the \"working operations,\" as might be\nexpected from her years of careful study and examination. She has erred\nonly in the Theory or Hypothesis advanced to account for the facts. Her\n\"Ether\" handed down by Aristotle, is admitted by her to be paradoxical\nand \"unthinkable\"--but she has had none other to substitute for it. She\nwill probably sneer at the Dynamic Thought, and Thought-Transference\ntheory advanced in this book--if indeed she takes the trouble to examine\nit. But sometime, from her own ranks--among her most advanced\nmembers--will arise a man who will claim that \"All Force is Mental\nForce,\" and that \"Transference of Energy is Thought Transference.\" And\nthe Scientific World will accept the doctrine after it finds itself\nunable to fight it down--and it will give new names and terms to its\nworkings. And it will proclaim loudly the \"new\" Truth. And this little\nbook, and its writer will be ignored--but its work will go on. The\nwriter although probably doomed to have himself and his theory laughed\nat by the masses of people (whose children will accept the teachings of\nthis book) does not feel discouraged by the prospect. He cares nothing\nfor personal credit--the truth being the important thing. Like Galvini,\n(whose words appear on the title page of this book) he may cry: \"_I am\nattacked by two very opposite sects--the scientists and the\nknow-nothings. Both laugh at me, calling me the 'Frog's Dancing Master,'\nbut I know that I have discovered one of the greatest Forces in\nNature._\" The illustration given above of the transmission of the\nExcitement of the Particles of the Sun to the Particles of the Earth,\nwill answer equally well in the case of Light, Heat, Magnetism and\nElectricity. And it will answer in the case of the transmission of these\nForces between Atoms, Molecules, and Masses as well as between Worlds\nand Solar Systems. Any bodies subject to the Law of Attraction may and\ndo, so transmit Vibrations. In our consideration of \"The Riddle of the\nSphinx,\" which forms the subject of the next chapter, we shall obtain\nfurther particulars of the workings of the Law.\n\nThe consideration of the facts and principles stated in this chapter\nbrings us to a second Supplemental Proposition, which may be stated as\nfollows:\n\nSUPPLEMENTAL PROPOSITION II.--_The rates of vibration of the Particles\nof Substance may be likened to \"Mental States\"; and a high degree of the\nsame may be called an \"Excitement.\" This \"Excitement\" may be, and is,\ncommunicated from the Particles of the body manifesting it, to the\nParticles of other bodies--the medium of such communication being a\nMental Connection or Mental Relation existing between the two bodies of\nSubstance, without the employment of any material medium--and which\nExcitement, so communicated, reproduces in the second body the\nvibrations manifested in the first body, subject, always, to the\ncounteracting efforts of the second body to maintain its accustomed, and\nformer, rate of vibration, and Mental State._\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XIII\n\nTHE RIDDLE OF THE SPHINX\n\n\nIt is with no light emotion, or jaunty air, that the writer approaches\nthis part of his subject. On the contrary, he feels something like awe\nwhen he contemplates the nature of that great Something which he is\ncalled upon to attempt to \"explain\" in a few pages. He feels, in only a\nlighter degree, the emotion that one experiences when, in occasional\nmoments, his mind leads to a contemplation of The Infinite. He feels\nthat that which men mean when they say \"Gravitation\" and \"The Ether,\"\nare but symbols and feeble concepts of Something so far above human\nexperience that the Mind of Man may grasp only its lowest shadings, the\ngreater and higher part of it, like the higher rays of the Spectrum,\nbeing hidden from the experience of Man.\n\nIn his endeavor to pass on to you his ideas regarding the Something that\nexplains both Gravitation and the Ether, he must ask you to endeavor to\nform a Mental Picture of a \"Something.\" This Something must fill all\nSpace within the Limits of the Universe, or Cosmos--if limits it has.\nIt must be an expression of the first of the attributes of The\nInfinite--the one called Omnipresence, or Presence-everywhere--and _yet\nit must not be The Infinite Presence_. It also must be an expression of\nthe second of the attributes of the Infinite--the one called\nOmnipotence, or All-Power--and _yet it must not be The Infinite Power_.\nIt also must be an expression of the third attribute of The\nInfinite--the one called Omniscience, or All-Knowing--and _yet it must\nnot be The Infinite Wisdom_. It must be an expression of All the\nAttributes that _we think of_ as belonging to The Infinite--_and yet\nthrough them All we may see The Infinite, Itself, in the background,\nviewing its expressions_.\n\nThis Something that you are asked to think of is that Something\nregarding which the mystics have dreamed; the philosophers have\nspeculated; the scientists have sneered and smiled--that Something that\nMen have thought of as The Universal Mind or the Cosmic Mind.\n\nYou are asked to think of this Something as a great Ocean of Pure Mind,\npermeating all Space--between Solar Systems--between Worlds--between\nMasses of Substance--between the Molecules, Atoms, and Corpuscles. In\nand about and around everything--yes, even in Everything--in the very\nessence of the Corpuscle it is--in truth _it is that Essence itself_.\n\nBound up in the bosom of that Mighty Ocean of Mind must reside all\nKnowledge of the Universe--of all \"this side of God.\" For that\nAll-Knowledge is but a knowing of its own region. Latent within itself\nmust be locked up all Energy, or capacity for Force or Motion, for all\nForce or Energy is Mental. In its very presence it exemplifies the\ncapacity of filling All Space. Omnipresent; Omnipotent; Omniscient--all\nthe attributes of The Infinite are manifested in it--_and yet it is but\nthe outward expression of That-Behind-the-Veil, which is the Causeless\nCause of All_.\n\nIn that Great Ocean of Universal or Cosmic Mind, bodies of Substance are\nbut as floating specks of dust--_or even bubbles formed of the substance\nof that Ocean itself_--on the surface of that Ocean, there may arise\nwaves, currents, ripples, eddies, whirlpools,--storms, hurricanes,\ntempests,--from its bosom may rise vapor, that after stages of clouds,\nrain-drops, flowing in streams, rivers, bays, at last again reach the\nsource of its origin. These disturbances and changes we call Energy,\nForce, Motion--but they are but surface manifestations, and the Great\nOcean is serene in its depths, and, in reality, is unchanged and\nundisturbed.\n\nThis, friends, is that which the writer asks you to accept in the place\nof Aristotle's Ether. Is it a worthy exchange?\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nWe have seen that the Attraction of Gravitation was different from any\nother so-called form of Force and Energy--both in its operations and\nlaws, as well as in its constancy and self-support. And that it was\ndifferent from the other forms of Attraction such as Cohesion, Chemical\nAffinity, etc. And, so we must consider it as more than a mere\n\"Emotional Excitement\" in the Mind of the Particle--that bubble on the\nsurface of the Ocean. And it must be different from the special forms of\nAttraction manifested by the Atom and Molecule. It must be a simpler,\nmore basic, and yet a more constant and permanent thing. It must exist\nbefore and after \"Excitement; Vibration; Cohesion; and Chemical\nAffinity.\" _It must be the Mother of the Forces._\n\nLet us imagine the Cosmic Mind as a great body of Something filling\nSpace, instead of as the surface of the Ocean, which figure we used just\nnow--either figure is equally correct. This great Cosmic Mind is to be\nthought of as filling Space, and containing within its volume (Oh, for a\nbetter word!) countless worlds, and suns, as well as smaller bodies of\nSubstance. These suns and world, and bodies are apparently free and\nunconnected, floating in this great volume of Mind. But they are not\nfree and unconnected--they are linked together by a web of lines of\nGravitation. Each body of Substance has a line reaching out in a\ncontinuous direction, and connecting it with another body. Each body has\none of such lines connecting it with _each_ particular \"other body.\"\nConsequently, each body has countless lines reaching out from it; some\nslender, and some thick,--the thickness depending upon the ratio of\ndistances maintained by, and relative sizes of, the particular bodies\nthat it connects. This system of \"lines\" form a great net-work of\nconnections in the volume of Mind, crossing each other at countless\npoints (but not interfering with each other.) And although the number\nmay be said to be \"countless,\" still these lines do not begin to cover\nthe entire dimensions of Space, or of the Mind that fills it. There are\ngreat areas of Space entirely untouched by these lines. If one could see\nthe system of lines, it probably would appear as a sheared off section\nof a great spider's web, with lines in all directions, but with \"plenty\nof room\" between the lines. _Perhaps these lines converge to a common\ncentre, and that centre may be----!_ But this is transcendental\ndreaming--let us proceed with our consideration of the use of these\nlines.\n\nIt is to be understood, of course, that these \"lines\" _are not material_\nlines--not made of Substance--but rather, \"conditions\" in the Cosmic\nMind. Not Thought-waves arising from the Excitement of Particles, but\nSomething more basic, simpler, and more permanent. Let us look closer\nand we will see that the great lines of Gravitation radiating from, and\nconnecting world with world--sun with planet--are really cables composed\nof much smaller lines, the finest strands of which are seen to emanate\nfrom each Corpuscle or Particle of Substance--the \"line\" of Gravitation\nreaching from the Earth to the Sun being composed of a mass of tiny\nstrands which connect each Particle of one body with each Particle of\nthe other. The last analysis shows us that _each Particle is connected\nwith every other Particle in the Universe by a line of Attraction_.\n\n_These \"Lines of Attraction\" are what we call Gravitation_--purely\nMental in nature--Lines of Mind-Principle in the great volume of mind.\n\nThese lines of Gravitation must have existed from the creation of the\nParticle, and the connection between Particle and Particles must have\nexisted from the beginning, if beginning there was. The Particles may\nhave changed their positions and relations in the Universe, but the\nlines have never been broken. Whether the Particle existed as a free\nCorpuscle--whether combined as Atom or Molecule--whether part of this\nworld or sun or planet, or that one countless millions of miles\nremoved--it mattered not. The Line of Gravitation always was there,\nbetween that Particle and every other Particle. Distance extended and\nthinned the line, or the reverse, as the case might be--but it was\nthere, always. Obstacles proved no hindrance to passage, for the lines\npassed through the obstacle. Can it not be seen that here is the secret\nof the fact that no \"time\" is required for the passage of\nGravitation--it apparently traveling instantaneously, whereas, in fact,\nit does not \"travel\" at all. And does not seem that this theory also\nexplains why no medium is required for the \"travel\" of Gravitation? And\ndoes it not explain why Gravitation is not affected in its \"passage\" by\nintervening bodies? Gravitation does not \"travel\" or \"pass\"--it remains\nconstant, and ever present between the articles, varying in degree as\nthe distance between the Particles is increased, and _vice-versa_; and\nincreasing and decreasing in effect, according to the number of\nParticles combining their lines of Attraction, as in the case of Atom,\nMolecule, Mass, World. Gravitation is a Mental Connection or Bond\nuniting the Mind in the several Particles, rather than their Substance\nor Material.\n\nAlong these lines of Gravitation pass the \"Thought-waves,\" resulting\nfrom the Excitement of the Particles--these fleeting, changing,\ninconstant waves of Emotion--how different they are from the changeless,\nconstant exhibition of Gravitation. And along these same lines--when\nshortened by close contact, travel the impulses of Cohesion and Chemical\nAffinity. Gravitation not only performs its own work, but also acts as a\n\"common-carrier\" for the waves of Desire-Force, and the Thought-waves of\nExcitement of the Particles, manifesting as Attractive Energy, and\nRadiant Energy, respectively.\n\nThe writer asks you to remember, particularly, that while the\nDesire-waves of the Particles,--and their Thought-waves of\nExcitement--are changeable, disconnected, and inconstant; the Line of\nGravitation is never broken, and could not be unless the Particle of\nSubstance was swept out of existence, in which case the balance of the\nUniverse would be overturned, and chaos would result. The Divine Plan is\nperfect to the finest detail--every Particle is needed--is known--is\ncounted--and used in the Plan. And Gravitation is the plainest evidence\nof the REALITY of The Infinite that is afforded us. _In it we see the\nactual machinery of The Infinite._ No wonder that great thinkers have\nbowed their heads reverently before its Power and Awfulness, when their\nminds have finally grasped its import. Verily the sparrow's fall is\nnoted, and known, as the Biblical writer has recorded, for the fall is\nin obedience to that great Law that holds the Particles in their\nplaces--that makes possible the whirl of worlds, and the existence of\nSolar Systems--that, indeed, makes possible the Forms of Life as we know\nthem--that Something that forever and ever has, and will, silently,\nceaselessly, untiringly, and without emotion, fulfilled its work and\ndestiny--GRAVITATION.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nThe Theory of Dynamic Thought also holds that in addition to the\nexistence of the Cosmic Mind, or Ocean of Mind-principle--and the Lines\nof Attraction that run through it, each particle has its Mental\nAtmosphere, or Aura. The Aura is an Atmosphere of Mind that surrounds\nthe Particle--and also the larger bodies--and also living forms higher\nin the scale. This Aura is merely an extension of the bit of Mind that\nis segregated or apparently separated from the Cosmic Mind, for use by\nthe individual Particle, Mass, or Creature. Through, and by means of\nthis Aura the Particle takes cognizance of the approach and nature of\nthe other Particles in its vicinity. The same rule holds good in the\ncase of the Creatures, including Man, as we shall see in a later\nchapter. The fact is mentioned here, merely in order to connect the\nseveral manifestation of Mental Phenomena mentioned in the several parts\nof this book.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nSome may object to the Theory of the Lines of Gravitation being the only\n\"carriers\" of the Energy of the Sun, as being contrary to the conception\nof Science that the Sun radiates Energy _in all directions equally_,\njust as does a piece of hot iron, or a lamp. Answering this objection,\nthe writer would say that there is a decided difference in the two\ncases. The iron or lamp radiates its heat and light to the particles of\nthe surrounding air and other Substance in close distance, the \"lines\"\nbeing very close together,--so close in fact that they seem to be\ncontinuous and having no space between them, at least no Space\nsufficiently large to be detected by the eye of Man, or his instruments.\nBut with the Sun the case is different, for the distances are greater\nand the lines spread apart as the distance is increased. Draw a diagram\nof many fine rays emanating from a central point, and you will have the\nidea at once. If Space were filled with Substance, just as is the\nAtmosphere of the Earth--the Air, is meant of course--then indeed would\nthe lines practically be joined together, but as Space between the\nworlds is almost devoid of Substance, the lines between the Sun and the\nother worlds, and planets, spread out rapidly as the distance from the\nSun increases.\n\nTo show how this objection is really an additional proof of the Theory\nthe writer begs to call your attention to the fact that according to the\ncalculations of the physicists in Science, the Sun's energy would have\nbeen exhausted in 20,000,000 years, granting that it was dispersed\nequally in all directions during that time. But, _note this_, Science in\nits other branches, namely in Geology, etc., holds that the Sun already\nhas been throwing out energy for 500,000,000 or more years, and seems\nable to stand the strain for many millions of years more. Thus Science\nis arrayed against Science. Does not this Theory harmonize the two, by\nshowing that the Sun does _not_ emanate Energy in _all_ directions,\nequally, and at all times--but, on the contrary radiates Energy _only\nalong the lines of Gravitation, and in proportion to the relative\ndistances and sizes of the bodies to whom such Energy is radiated_?\n\nThe writer need scarcely state that in the short space at his disposal,\nin the pages of this book, he has been able merely to outline his Theory\nof Dynamic Force, as applied to the Inorganic World. The patience of the\naverage reader has limits--and he must pass on to other features of the\nworkings of the theory, namely the Mental Life of Man, in which the same\nlaws are manifested. But, he feels that those interested in the phases\nof the subject touched upon, may explain for themselves the missing\ndetails by reference to the teachings of Modern Science on the subjects\nof Physics, remembering, _always_, to substitute the Theory of Dynamic\nThought for the \"Ether\" theory that Modern Science borrows from\nAristotle as a temporary \"makeshift.\" The writer believes that this\nTheory will account for many of the missing links in Physics--a broad\nstatement, he knows, and one either extremely impudent or superbly\nconfident, according to the view-point of the critic.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nThe writer may be able to throw a little additional light, probably,\nupon the question of the relation between Gravitation, and the\nExcitement-waves of Radiant Energy. Without attempting to go into\ndetails, he wishes to suggest that in view of the fact that the\nParticles are connected by the \"Lines of Gravitation,\" any great,\nextended, and rapid disturbance of a number of Particles would cause a\nseries of undulating or wave-like movements in the \"lines,\" which might\nbe spoken of as waves of \"Agitation or Unrest\" in the Lines of\nGravitation. This Agitation, or Unrest, of course, would be thus\ncommunicated to all other Particles toward whom lines extended, the\nintensity or effect of such Agitation or Unrest depending upon the\nrelative distances, and the number of Particles involved. We may easily\nimagine how the intense and high rate of vibration among the Particles\nof the Sun, manifesting as intense Heat, would cause a like high degree\nof Agitation or Unrest among the Lines of Gravitation--the \"lines\"\ndancing backward and forward; around and about; following the movements\nof the Particles, and thus producing \"waves\" of Gravitational Agitation\nand Unrest, which when communicated to the Particles of the Earth, would\nproduce a similar Excitement among the Particles of the latter. In the\nsame way the \"Sun-spots,\" and consequent terrestial electrical\ndisturbance may be explained.\n\nWhile not absolutely tying himself to this particular conception of the\ndetails of the workings of the law, the writer feels free to say that\nhe considers it a very reasonable idea, and one that in all probability\nwill be found to come nearer to explaining the phenomena, than any other\nhypothesis. It certainly coincides with the \"undulatory wave\" theory of\nScience. The idea is but crudely expressed here, for lack of space, it\nbeing impossible to attempt to go into details--the mere mention of\ngeneral principles being all that is possible at this time and place.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nAnd now, for a few additional words on the subject of our theory that in\nplace of the hypothetical Ether of Science--a Substance that is not\nSubstance--there exists a great Ocean of Cosmic Mind. The idea is not\nwithout coroborative proof in the direction of the thought of advanced\nthinkers even among the ranks of Science.\n\nWhile Science has accustomed the public to the idea that in the\nUniversal Ether might be found the origin of Matter--the essence of\nEnergy--the secret of Motion--it has not spoken of \"Mind,\" in connection\nwith this Universal Something. But the idea is not altogether new, and\nsome daring Scientific thinkers have placed themselves on record\nregarding same. Let us quote from a few of them--it will make smoother\nour path.\n\n_Edward Drinker Cope_, in several of his writings, hinted at the idea\nthat _the basis of Life and Consciousness lay back of the Atoms, and\nmight be found in the Universal Ether_.\n\n_Dolbear_ says: \"_Possibly the Ether may be the medium through which\nMind and Matter react_.\"\n\n_Hemstreet_ says: \"_Mind in the Ether is no more unnatural than Mind in\nflesh and blood_.\"\n\n_Stockwell_ says: \"The Ether is coming to be apprehended as an\n_immaterial_, superphysical substance, filling all space, carrying in\nits infinite throbbing bosom the specks of aggregated dynamic force\ncalled worlds. _It embodies the ultimate spiritual principle_, and\nrepresents the unity of those forces and energies from which spring, as\ntheir source, all phenomena, physical, _mental and spiritual_, as they\nare known to man.\"\n\n_Dolbear_ speaks of the Ether as a substance, which, besides the\nfunction of energy and motion, has other inherent properties \"_out of\nwhich could emerge, under proper circumstances, other phenomena, such as\nlife, or mind or whatever may be in the substratum_.\"\n\n_Newton_ spoke of it as a \"_subtle spirit, or immaterial substance_.\"\n_Dolbear_ says: \"The Ether--the properties of which _we vainly strive to\ninterpret in the terms of Matter_, the undiscovered properties of which\nought to warn every one against the danger of strongly asserting what\nis possible and what is impossible in the nature of things.\"\n\n_Stockwell_ says: \"That the Ether _is not Matter in any of its forms_,\npractically all scientists are agreed. _Dolbear_, again, says: If the\nEther that fills all space is not atomic in structure, presents no\nfriction to bodies moving through it, and is not subject to the law of\ngravitation, it _does not seem proper to call it Matter_. One might\nspeak of it as a substance if he wants another name for it. As for\nmyself, I make _a sharp distinction between the Ether and Matter_, and\nfeel somewhat confused to hear one speak of the Ether as Matter.\"\n\nAnd yet, in spite of the above expressions, no Scientist has dared to\nsay in plain words that the Ether, or whatever took the place of the\nEther, _must be Mind_, although several seem to be on the verge of the\ndeclaration, but apparently afraid to voice their thought.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nIn view of what we have seen in our consideration of the facts and\nprinciples advanced in this chapter, we are invited to consider the\nfollowing two Supplemental Propositions:\n\nSUPPLEMENTAL PROPOSITION III.--_Connecting each Particle of Substance\nwith each and every other Particle of Substance, there exists \"lines\" of\nMental Connection, the \"thickness\" of which depends upon the distance\nbetween the two particles, decreasing in proportion as the distance is\nincreased. These \"lines\" may be considered as \"conditions\" of the great\nOcean of Cosmic Mind which pervades and fills all Space, including the\nessence or inner being of the Particles of Substance, as well as the\nspace between the said Particles. These \"lines\" are the \"Lines of\nGravitation,\" by and over which the phenomenon of Gravitation is\nmanifested. These Lines of Gravitation have always existed between each\nParticle and every other Particle, and have persisted continuously and\nconstantly, throughout all the changes of condition, and position, and\nrelation, that the Particles have undergone. There is no \"passage\" or\n\"transmission\" of Energy or Force of Gravitation over these lines, or\nany other channel, but, on the contrary the Energy or Force of\nGravitation is a constant and continuous Mental Connection or Bond\nexisting between the Mind of the Particles, rather than between their\nSubstance or Material._\n\nSUPPLEMENTAL PROPOSITION IV.--_The Lines of Gravitation, mentioned in\nthe preceding proposition, are the medium over which travel, or are\ntransmitted the \"Thought-waves\" resulting from the Excitement of the\nParticles, and by which waves the \"Mental States\" are communicated or\ntransmitted. The same medium transmits or carries the Mental Force of\nAttraction--Cohesion, Chemical Affinity, etc., evidencing in the\nrelation of the Particles to each other. Thus Gravitation not only\nperforms its own work, but also acts as a \"common carrier\" for the\n\"waves of Excitement,\" manifesting as Radiant Energy; and the waves of\nDesire-Force, manifesting as Attractive Energy._\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nAnd here, the writer rests his case in the action in the Forum of\nAdvanced Thought, entitled \"_The Theory of Dynamic Thought vs. The\nTheory of Aristotle's Ether_,\" in which he appears for the Plaintiff. He\nbegs that you, the members of the jury, will give to the evidence, and\nargument, due consideration, to the end that you may render a just\nverdict.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XIV\n\nTHE MYSTERY OF MIND\n\n\nThe writer, in this book, has treated the two manifestations of Life,\n_viz._, Mind and Substance, as if they were separate things, although he\nhas hinted at his belief that Substance, at the last, might be found to\nemanate from Mind, and be but a cruder form of its expression. The\nbetter way to express the thought would be to say that he believes that\nboth Substance, and Mind _as we know it_, are but expressions of a form\nof Mind as much higher than _that which we know as Mind_, as the latter\nis higher than Substance. But he does not intend to follow up this\nbelief, in this book, as the field of the work lies along other lines.\nThe idea is mentioned here, merely for the purpose of giving a clew to\nthose who might be interested in the conclusions of the writer,\nregarding this more remote regions of the general subject.\n\nThe writer agrees with the Ancient Occult Teachings regarding the\nexistence of The Cosmic Mind, as he has stated in the last chapter.\nThis Cosmic Mind, he believes, is independent of Substance, in fact it\nis the Mother of Substance, and its twin-brother, _Mind as we know it_.\n\n_Mind, as we know it_, and Substance are always found in connection with\nother. It is true that the form of Substance, used by Mind as its body,\nmay be far finer than the rarest vapor that we know, but it is Substance\nnevertheless. The working of the Great Plan of the Universe seems to\nrequire that Mind shall always have a body with which to work, and this\nrule applies not only in the case of the densest form of Substance and\nthe Mind-principle manifesting through it, but also in the case of the\nhighest manifestation of Mind, as we know it, which requires a body\nthrough which to manifest.\n\nThis constant combination of Mind and Substance--the fact that no\nSubstance has been found without at least a trace of Mind, and no Mind\nexcept in relation to and combination with Substance, has led many\nscientific thinkers to accept the Materialistic idea that Mind was but a\nproperty of Substance, or a quality thereof. Of course, these\nphilosophers and thinkers have had to admit that they could form no idea\nof the real nature of Mind, and could not conceive how Substance really\n_could_ \"think,\" but they found the Materialistic idea a simpler one\nthat its opposite, and so they fell into it. Notwithstanding the fact\nthat there was always a Something Within that would cry \"Pshaw!\" at the\nconclusion of the argument or illustration, these men have thought it\nreasonable to believe that there was no such thing as Mind, except as a\nresult of \"irritation of tissue,\" etc. But, nevertheless, there is\nalways a Something in us that, in spite of argument, keeps crying like a\nchild, \"_'taint so_!\" And, wonderful to relate, we heed the little\nvoice.\n\nThis Materialistic theory is a curious reversal of the facts of the\ncase. Even the very conclusions and reasoning of these thinkers is made\npossible only by the existence of that Mind which they would deny. The\nhuman reason is incapable of \"explaining\" the inner operation of the\nMind, upon a strictly and purely physical basis. _Tyndall_, the great\nEnglish scientist, truthfully said, \"_the passage from the physics of\nthe brain, to the corresponding facts of consciousness, is unthinkable.\nGranted that a definite thought and a definite molecular action of the\nbrain occur simultaneously, we do not possess the intellectual organ,\nnor apparently any rudiment of the organ, which would enable us to pass\nby a process of reasoning from the one phenomenon to the other._\"\n\nThe Materialist is prone to an attempt to rout the advocates of \"Mind\"\nwith a demand for an answer to the question, \"What is Mind?\" The best\nanswer to that question lies along the proverbial Irishman's lines of\nanswering a question by asking another one, resulting in the \"answering\nquestion,\" \"What is _Matter_?\" As a fact, the human reason is unable to\ngive an intelligent answer to either question, and the best opinion\nseems to be to consider them as but two aspects of Something, the real\norigin of which lies in Something Higher, of which both are aspects or\nforms of expression.\n\nThe Occult Teaching, with which the writer agrees, is that the \"Mind\"\ninherent in any portion of substance, from the Corpuscle up to the Brain\nof Man, is but a segregated (or apparently separated) portion of the\nUniversal Mind-principle, or Cosmic Mind. This fragment of Mind is\nalways connected with Substance, and, in fact, it is believed that it is\nseparated from the Universal Mind, and the other Separate Minds by a\n\"film\" of the rarest Substance, so fine as to be scarcely\ndistinguishable from Mind. This separation is not a total separation,\nhowever, for the fragment of Mind is in connection with all other\nfragments of Mind, by \"mental filaments,\" and besides is never out of\ntouch with the Cosmic Mind.\n\nBut, comparatively, the fragment of Mind is _apart_ from the rest, and\nwe must consider it in this way, at least for the purpose of study,\nconsideration, and illustration. It is like a drop in the Ocean of Mind,\nalthough connected, in a way, with every other drop, and the Ocean\nitself.\n\nThe individual Mind is not closely confined within the Substance in\nwhich it abides, but extends beyond the physical limits of the\nSubstance, sometimes to a quite considerable distance. The Aura, or\negg-shaped projection or emanation of Mind, surrounding each Particle\nand each Individual, is an instance of this. In addition to the Aura,\nthere is possibly an extension of Mind to a considerable distance beyond\nthe immediate vicinity of the physical limits, the connection, however,\nnever being broken during the \"life\" term.\n\nMental influence at a distance, however, does not always require the\nabove mentioned projection of the Mind. Thought-waves often answer the\npurpose, and, besides, there is such a thing as the imparting of Mental\nvibrations to the small particles of Substances with which the\natmosphere is filled, which vibrations continue for quite a time, often\nfor a long period after the presence of the individual producing them.\nThese matters shall be discussed in later chapters of this book.\n\nThe Mind of Man is a far more complex thing that is generally imagined\nby the average man. Not only in its varied manifestation of\nconsciousness, but its great region of \"below-consciousness\" or Infra\nConsciousness, as it is called. It shall be the purpose of the sequel to\nthis book (now in preparation) which will be entitled \"The Wonders of\nthe Mind,\" to describe these inner workings, and to point out methods of\nutilizing the same.\n\nOur next chapter, entitled \"The Finer Forces of the Mind,\" will lead us\ninto this field.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XV.\n\nTHE FINER FORCES OF THE MIND.\n\n\nIt was the writer's original intention to close the book with the\nchapter in which he brought to a close his argument, and presentation of\nthe case of \"Dynamic Thought.\" The book was written for the purpose of\ndemonstrating that Theory, and it naturally should have closed there.\nThe writer has in simultaneous course of preparation a companion book,\nentitled \"_The Wonders of The Mind_,\" in which, in addition to\ninformation and instruction regarding the latent powers and hidden\nregions of the mind--including an investigation of the Infra-conscious\nand Ultra-conscious Regions; Automatic Thinking; Occult Systems of\nMentation; Mental Development, and Unfoldment, etc.--he purposes taking\nup the subject of \"Dynamic Thought,\" from the Mental Plane of Man. And\nhe thought it better to keep the two branches of the subject separate\nand apart.\n\nBut, notwithstanding the above facts, he feels that he cannot close the\npresent book--the consideration of the present phase of the subject,\nwithout at least a passing reference to the fact that \"Dynamic Thought\"\nis fully operative on the Plane of Human Mentation, as on the Plane of\nAtomic Mentation. In fact, Man has the same power, potentially, that is\npossessed by the Atom, only refined to a degree corresponding to the\ndevelopment of Man as compared to that of the Atom. The Power is raised\nto a higher Plane of Mentation, but is fully operative.\n\nJust as the body of Man contains physical life corresponding with the\ndifferent stages of lower physical life, mineral, vegetable, and\nanimal--for instance, the mineral-like bones, and the mineral salts in\nthe system; the plant-like life and work of the cells; and the\nanimal-like flesh, and physical life; in addition to the wonderful\nbrain-structure and fine brain development, peculiar to Man--so has Man\nthe lower Mental Qualities of the lower life, in addition to his\nglorious Human Consciousness that is reserved for the Highest Form of\nLife on the globe.\n\nIn his Mental regions, man has the power of the Atom of attracting\nparticles of Substance to him, that he may combine it with other\nSubstances in building up his body--then he has the plant-like cell\nmentation, that does the building-up work, and repairs wounds, and\ndamaged parts, etc.--then he has the animal mentation evidencing in the\npassions, desires, and emotions of the purely animal nature, and which\nmentation, by the way, keeps Man busy in controlling by means of his\nhigher mental faculties, that are God's gift to Man, and are not\npossessed by the animals. But all this will form part of the sequel,\n\"_The Wonders of The Mind_,\" and are merely mentioned here in passing.\n\nAnd, just as Man is enabled to use elementary the physical qualities\nthat he finds in his body, and to turn same to good account in living\nhis human life, so does man, consciously, or unconsciously, make use of\nthese elementary Mental powers in his everyday mental life. And if he\nbut realizes what a _conscious_ use of these faculties, guided by the\nHuman Will, will do, Man may become a different order of being. This is\nthe basis of the Occult Teachings, and the Mysteries of the Ancients, as\nwell as the teachings of the modern secret esoteric bodies and\nsocieties, such as the \"Rosicrucians\" and \"Hermetic Brotherhood,\" and\nseveral other societies whose names are not known--the _real_ societies\nare referred to, not the brazen imitations that unscrupulous men are\nholding out to the public as the original orders, membership being\noffered and urged for the consideration of a few dollars. It is needless\nto say that membership in the _real_ Occult orders is _never urged_,\nand _cannot be bought_.\n\nBut to return to the subject--the Individual Mind of Man is in direct\ntouch, not only with the great Cosmic Mind, but also with the Individual\nMind of every other Man. Just as the Particles are bound by lines of\nAttraction, so are the Minds of Men bound together by lines of Mind, or\nMental filaments. And just as special forms of Attraction exist between\nthe Particles, so do special forms of Attraction exist between Men. And\njust as Particles are influenced at a distance by other Particles, so\nare Men influenced at a distance by other Men. And just as the Particle\ndraws toward itself that which it Desires, so do Men draw toward\nthemselves that which they Desire. And just as Mental-States and\n\"Excitement\" are transmitted, or communicated from Particle to Particle,\nso are Mental States or \"Excitement\" transmitted or communicated from\nMen to Men. \"_As Above so Below--as Below so Above_,\" says the old\nOccult Maxim, and it may be found to operate on every plane.\n\nThe phenomena of Thought Transference; Telepathy; Telesthesia; Mental\nProjection; Suggestion; Hypnotism, Mesmerism, etc., etc., may be\nexplained and understood, by reason of an acquaintance with the \"Theory\nof Dynamic Thought,\" as explained in this book. An understanding of one\ngives you the key to the other--for the Law operates precisely the same\non each particular plane. If the reader will think over this statement,\nand then apply it to his investigations and experiments, he will find\nthat he has the key to many mysteries--the loose end of a mighty ball of\nthread, which he may unwind at his leisure.\n\nLet us begin by a consideration of the process of Thought-production in\nthe Human Mind. In this way we may arrive at a clearer idea of the\nMental Phenomena known as Thought-Force; Mental Power; Thought-waves;\nThought-vibrations; Mind-transference; Mental Influence, etc. To\nunderstand these things we must begin by understanding the Process of\nThought-production. Here is found the Secret of the phenomena named, and\nmuch more.\n\nIn the first place, while the Brain is the Organ of the Mind--the\nInstrument that the Mind uses in producing Thought, still the Brain does\n_not_ do the thinking, nor is the brain-matter visible to the eye, the\nmaterial instrument of thinking. The Brain (and other portions of the\nnervous systems, including the \"little brains\" or ganglia, found in\nvarious parts of the body) is composed of a certain substance--a fine\nform of Plasm, which however is but the ground-work of foundation for\nfiner forms of Substance used in the production of Thought. Science has\nnot discovered this finer Substance, for it is not visible to the eye,\nor to the finest instruments, but trained Occulists know that it exists.\nThis fine Substance escapes the scalpel and microscope of the biologists\nand anatomists, and, consequently, their search for \"Mind\" in the Brain\nis futile. There is something more than \"tissue to be irritated\" in the\nBrain. But, remember, that this \"something more\" is still Substance, and\nnot Mind itself.\n\nThought is a form of \"Excitement\" in this fine brain-substance, which we\nmay as well call Psycho-plasm, from the two Greek words meaning \"the\nmind,\" and \"a mold, or matrix,\" respectively--the combined word meaning\nthe \"mould or matrix of Mind,\" in other words the material Substance\nused by the Mind in which to \"cast\" or \"mold\" Thoughts.\n\nThis Excitement in the Psychoplasm manifests in vibrations of its\nparticles--for, like all Substance, it has \"particles.\" All scientists\nagree that in the process of thinking there is an expenditure of Energy,\nand a \"using-up\" of material Substance. Just how this is effected, they\ndo not know, but their experiments have shown that there is Energy\nmanifested and used, and also Substance consumed.\n\nThe secret of the production of Thought does not lie in the Brain or\nnervous system, which are but the material substratum upon which the\nMind works, and which it uses as a mold or matrix for the production of\nThought. Thought is the product of Mind directing Force upon Substance\nin the shape of Psychoplasm. And Energy is manifested in the production\nof Thought just as much as in the operation of the Law of Attraction, or\nChemical Action. \"_What_ Force and Energy?\" may be asked. The answer is\n\"_Mental_ Force!\" But although the answer stares them right in the face,\nscientists deny that Mind contains Force or Energy within itself, and\npersist in thinking of Force as a \"mechanical thing,\" or as necessarily\nderived from the common forms of Energy, such as Heat, Light or\nElectricity. They ignore the fact that Mind has a Finer Force which it\nuses to perform its work.\n\nHow do the Atoms attract each other and move together? There is an\nevidence of Force and Energy here that is not Heat, Light or\nElectricity--what is it? When a man wishes to close his hand, he Wills\nthat it be closed, and sends a current of this Finer Force of the Mind\nalong the nerve to the muscle, and the latter contracts and the hand is\nclosed. A similar process is used in every muscular action. _What is\nthe Force used?_\n\nScience admits the existence of this Force, and calls it \"Nervous\nEnergy,\" or \"Nerve Force.\" It holds that it must be something like\nElectricity, and some even go so far as to say that it _is_ Electricity.\nThey base their ideas upon the fact that when Electricity is applied to\nthe muscle of living or dead animals, they contract just as they do when\nthis \"Nerve Force\" is applied, and every movement of the muscles may be\nso produced by Electricity, which becomes a counterfeit Nerve Force.\nBut, here is the point, this Force cannot be identical with Electricity,\n_for none of the appliances for registering electric currents will\nregister it_. It is not Electricity, _but is some Finer Force of the\nMind_, generated in the material substratum that the Mind uses as a base\nof operation.\n\nThis Fine Force of the Mind is generated in some way in the Brain and\nNervous System, by action upon the Psychoplasm. The Brain, or brains\n(for Man has several centres worthy of that term) are like great dynamos\nand storehouses of this Force, and the nerves are the wires that carry\nit to all parts of the system. More than this, the nerves have been\nfound to be generators of Force, also, as well as the Brain.\nExperiments have shown that the supply of Force in a nerve vanishes when\nthe nerve is used, in which case it draws upon the storehouses for an\nadditional supply.\n\nThis Fine Force of the Mind is really the source of All Energy, for as\nwe have shown in previous chapters, all Motion arises from Mental\nAction, and this form of Force or Energy is the primal Force or Energy\nproduced by the Mind. And this Force is in operation in all forms of\nLife, from the Atom to the Man. And not only may it be used by the\nParticle, but Man, also, has it at his disposal.\n\nAs a proof that Substance is \"used-up,\" and Energy manifested in the\nproduction of Thought, Science points to the fact that the temperature\nof a nerve rises when it is used, and the temperature of the Brain\nincreases when it is used for extended Thought. Scientists have claimed,\nand advanced a mass of proof to back up the same, that Thought was as\nmuch a form of Energy as was the pulling of a train of cars, and was\nattended by the production of a definite amount of Heat, resulting from\nthe activity of the fine substance of the physical extended resistant\nand composite substratum.\n\nBut, Science has taken all this to mean that Thought and Mind were\npurely material things, and properties of Matter. It has claimed that\n\"Matter Thinks,\" instead of that Mind uses the Matter or Substance, in\nits finer forms, as a _substratum for the production of Thought_.\nBuchner, the leader of the purely Materialistic school, claims\npositively that Thought is but the product of Matter. He says: \"Is it\nnot a patent fact, obvious to all but the wilfully blind that _matter\ndoes think_? De la Mettrie made merry over the narrowness of the\nmentalists, in saying: 'When people ask whether matter can think, it is\nas though they asked whether matter can strike the hours!' Matter,\nindeed, as such, thinks as little as it strikes the hours; but it does\nboth, when brought into such conditions that thinking, or hour-striking\nresults as a natural action or performance.\"\n\nThe above quoted opinion of Buchner shows how narrow and one-sided a\ntalented man may become by reason of shutting out all other points of\nview, and seeing only one phase of a subject. The example of the\n\"hour-striking\" is a poor figure for the Materialists, for although\nmatter _does_ strike the hours, it does so only when wound up by Man\nunder direction of his Mind. And in the manufacture, adjustment, and\nwinding of the clock, Mind is the Cause of the Action. And, more than\nthis, the very action of the coiled spring that is the immediate cause\nof the striking, results from the _mental_ effort of the Particles of\nthe spring endeavoring to resume their accustomed position, under the\nlaw of Elasticity, as explained in our chapters on Substance.\n\nScience renders valuable service in showing us the details of the\n\"mechanism\" of Thought, but it will never really _explain_ anything\nunless it assumes the existence of Mind, back of and in everything. It\nmay dissect the brain-cells, and show us their composition, but it never\nwill find Mind under the scalpel, or in the scale or test-tube. Not only\nis this true, but it cannot even discover the fine Psychoplasm which is\nused in the production of Mind. But we may make use of its\ninvestigations regarding the matter of Activity of Brain-substance in\nthe process of Thought, and by combining them with our belief regarding\nthe existence of Mind we may form a complete chain of reasoning, without\nany missing-links--these missing-links appearing both in the case of the\n\"no-mind\" philosophers, and the \"no-matter\" metaphysicians.\n\nThis theory of Mind and Substance considered as the two aspects of\nSomething Higher, from which both have originated or emanated, will come\nto be regarded as the only \"thinkable\" proposition, in the end. And,\nwith this idea in view, we may use the facts and experiments of the\nMaterialists, while smiling at their theories. And, with but a slight\nchange of words, we may turn against them their own verbal batteries. In\nthis way, we may take Moleschott's famous statement: \"_Thought is but a\nmotion of Matter_,\" and render it intelligible by making it read as\nfollows: \"_Thought produces Motion in Matter_.\"\n\nThis Finer Force of the Mind is in full evidence to those who look for\nit, and although it may not be registered by the scales or instruments\ndesigned to register the coarser grades of Force, still it _is_\nregistered in the minds of men and women, and in the actions resulting\nfrom their thoughts. These living registers of the Force respond readily\nto it,--and every one of us is such a register. Just as is the Force a\nmuch higher grade of Energy than the forms usually considered as\ncomprising the entire range of Energy, so are the instruments required\nfor its registration much higher than those used to determine the\ndegrees of Heat, Light, Electricity, and Magnetism. It may be that the\nfuture will give us instruments adapted for the purpose--in fact it\nbegins to look even now as if the same were forthcoming. But whether we\nhave such mechanical instruments, or not, the living instruments give us\na sufficient proof of the existence of the Force, and its operation.\n\nWell--the writer still finds himself unable to bring the book to a\nclose. He added this chapter, to show that the property of Dynamic\nThought extended to the highest development of Mind, as well as abiding\nin the lowest. And, now that he has ventured upon the subject, he finds\nhimself impelled to give you a few instances of the workings and\noperations of that Law, in the case of Human Mental Life. And this means\none more chapter--but only one, remember. The book must come to an end\nsometime remember. And, so we will pass over into another chapter, which\nwill be entitled, \"Thought in Action.\"\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XVI\n\nTHOUGHT IN ACTION\n\n\nWithout attempting to go into details, or to enter into explanations,\nthe writer purposes taking his readers on a flying trip through the\nregion of \"Thought in Action,\" or \"Dynamic Thought in Operation in Human\nLife.\" The details of this fascinating region must be left for another\nand more extended visit, in our next book (before mentioned) which will\nbe called \"_The Wonders of The Mind_.\" But he thinks that even this\nflying trip will prove of interest and instruction.\n\nLet us start with a hasty look at Man himself. Not to speak of his\n\"Seven Planes of Mind,\" which belongs to the next visit, we find him a\nvery interesting object. Not only has he a physical body, apparent to\nour senses, but he has also a finer or \"astral body,\" which he may use\n(unconsciously, or consciously, when he learns how) for little\nexcursions away from the body, during his lifetime. This Astral Body is\ncomposed of Substance just as his denser physical body. The field and\nrange of Substance extends far beyond the powers of ordinary vision, as\neven the Materialists must admit when they talk of \"Radiant Matter,\"\n\"Etherial Substance,\" etc. Then he has currents of Fine Force coursing\nthrough his nervous system, which may be seen by those possessing\n\"Astral Vision,\" if the teachings of the Occultists be true.\n\nThen he, like the Particle, has an \"Aura\" or egg-shaped projection of\nMind and fine particles of Psychoplasm, which has been thrown off in the\nprocess of Thought, and which clusters around him, producing a \"Mental\nAtmosphere,\" which constantly surrounds him, and makes itself \"felt\" by\nthose coming in his presence. Those who read these words may remember,\nreadily, the \"feeling\" they have experienced when coming in contact with\ncertain people--how some radiated an atmosphere of cheerfulness,\nbrightness, etc., while others radiated the very opposite. Some radiate\na feeling of energy, activity, etc., while others manifest just the\nreverse. Many likes and dislikes between people meeting for the first\ntime, arise in this way, each finding in the mental atmosphere of the\nother, some inharmonious element. These radiations are perceived by\nothers coming into their range.\n\nOccultists tell us that the character of a man's thought vibrations may\nbe determined by certain colors, which are visible to those having\n\"Astral Sight.\" There is nothing so wonderful about this, when it is\nremembered that the various \"colors\" of light, comprising the visible\ncolors of the spectrum, ranging from red, on through orange, yellow,\ngreen, blue, indigo, and terminating in violet, arise simply from\ndifferent rates of vibration of the Particles of Substance. And as\nThought is produced by Mind causing vibrations in the Psychoplasm, why\nis not the Astral Colors reasonable? We cannot stop to consider these\ncolors in detail, but may run over the ones corresponding to each marked\nEmotion of Thought, as reported by the Occult teachings.\n\nFor instance the shade of the thought manifesting in physical or organic\nfunctions, is of a colorless white, or \"color of clear water\"; and the\ncolor of the thought manifesting in Fine Force or Vital Energy, is that\nof air,--heated air arising from a furnace or heated ground--when it\nemerges from the body although of a faint pink when in the body itself.\nBlack represents Hate, Malice, etc.; Gray (bright shade) represents\nSelfishness, while Gray of a dark dull shade represents Fear. Green\nrepresents Jealousy, Deceit, Treachery, and similar emotions, ranging\nfrom the dull shades which characterize the lower and cruder forms, to\nthe bright shades which characterize the finer, or more delicate forms\nof \"Tact,\" \"Politeness,\" \"Diplomacy,\" etc. Red (dull shade) represents\nSensuality and Animal Passion, while red (bright and vivid) represents\nAnger. Crimson, in varying shades, represents the phases of \"Love.\"\nBrown represents Avarice or Greed. Orange represents Pride and Ambition;\nand Yellow, in varying shades, represents grades of Intellectual Power.\nBlue is the color of the Religious thoughts, ranging, however, through a\ngreat variety of stages, from the dull shade of superstitious religious\nbelief, to the beautiful violet of the highest religious emotion or\nthought. What is generally known as \"Spirituality\" is characterized by a\nLight Blue of a peculiarly luminous shade. Just as there are ultra-red,\nand ultra-violet rays in the spectrum, which the eye cannot perceive, so\nOccultists inform us there are \"colors\" in the Aura or Mental Atmosphere\nof a person of unusual psychic or occult development, the ultra-violet\nrays indicating the thought of one who is pursuing the higher planes of\noccult thought and unfoldment, while the ultra-red is evidenced by those\npossessing occult development, but who are using the same for base and\nselfish purposes--\"black-magic\" in fact. There are other shades, known\nto Occultists, indicating several highly developed states of Mind, but\nit is needless to mention them here.\n\nBut the influence of these Particles of \"Thought-stuff\" thrown off from\nthe Mind Psychoplasm under the vibrations produced by the Mind during\nthe process of Thought, does not cease with the phenomena surrounding\nthe Aura. They are radiated to a considerable distance, and produce a\nnumber of effects. We will remember how the Corpuscles or Electrons are\nthrown off by Substance in a high state of vibration. Well, the same law\nmanifests in the vibrations attendant upon the production of Thought.\nThe particles are thrown off in great quantities each vibrating at the\nrate imparted to it during the process. No these particles of\n\"Thought-stuff\" do not compose the \"Thought-waves\"--the latter belong to\na different set of phenomena.\n\nThese particles of vibrating \"Thought-stuff\" fly off from the brain of\nthe thinker, in all directions, and affect other persons who may come in\ncontact with them. There is an important rule here, however, and that is\nthat they seem to be attracted by those minds which are vibrating in\nsimilar thought-rates with themselves, and are but feebly\nattracted--and in some cases, actually repelled--by minds vibrating on\nopposite lines of Thought. \"Like attracts Like,\" in the Thought World,\nand \"Birds of a feather flock together,\" here as elsewhere.\n\nSome of these particles of \"Thought-stuff\" are still in existence, and\nvibrating, which proceeded from the minds of persons long since dead,\nthe same being emitted or thrown off during the lifetime of the persons,\nhowever. Just as a distant star, which was destroyed hundreds of years\nago, may have emitted rays which are only now reaching our vision, years\nafter the destruction of the star which emitted them--and just as an\nodor will remain in a room after the object causing it has departed the\nparticles still remaining and vibrating--and just as a stove removed\nfrom a room may leave heat vibrations behind it--so do these particles\npersist, vibrate, and influence other minds, long after the person who\ncaused them may have passed out of the body. In this way, rooms, houses,\nneighborhoods, and localities may vibrate with the thoughts of people\nwho lived there long ago, but who have since passed away, or removed.\nThese vibrations affect people living in these places, to a greater or\nlesser extent, depending upon circumstances, but they may always be\ncounteracted or changed (if they are of undesirable nature) by setting\nupon positive vibrations on a different plane of mind, or character of\nthought.\n\nThe mind of a thinker is constantly emitting or throwing off these\nparticles of \"Thought-stuff\"; the distance and rate of speed, to and by\nwhich they travel, being determined by the \"force\" used in their\nproduction, there being a great difference between the thought of a\nvigorous thinker, and that emanating from a weak, listless mind. These\nprojections of Thought-stuff have a tendency to mingle with others of a\ncorresponding rate of vibration (depending upon the character of the\nthought.) Some remain around the places where they were emitted, while\nothers float off like clouds, and obey the Law of Attraction which draws\nthem to persons thinking along similar lines.\n\nThe characteristics of cities arise in this way, the general average of\nThought of their inhabitants causing a corresponding Thought-atmosphere\nto hang over and around it, which atmosphere is distinctly felt by\nvisitors, and often determines the mental character of the persons\nresiding there, in spite of their previous characteristics--_that is,\nunless they understand the Laws of Thought_. Some neighborhoods, also,\nhave their own peculiar Mental Atmosphere, as all may have noticed if\nthey have visited certain \"tough\" neighborhoods, on the one hand, and\nneighborhoods of an opposite kind, on the other. Certain kinds of\nThoughts and Actions seem to be contagious in certain places--_and they\nare_ to those who do not understand the Law. Certain shops seem to have\ntheir own atmosphere--some reflecting confidence and honest dealing, and\nothers radiating an atmosphere that causes patrons to hold tightly to\ntheir pocketbooks, and, in some extreme cases, to be certain that their\nbuttons are tightly sewed on their garments. Yes, places like people,\nhave their distinctive Mental Atmospheres, and both arise from the same\ncause.\n\nAnd each person draws to himself these particles of vibrating\n\"Thought-stuff\" corresponding with the general mental attitude\nmaintained by him. If one harbors feelings of Malice, he will find\nthoughts of malice, revenge, hate, etc., pouring in upon him. He has\nmade himself a centre of Attraction, and has set the Law into operation.\nHis only safe course is to resolutely change his thought vibrations.\n\nA most remarkable form of these particles of Thought-stuff is evidenced\nin the case of what are known among occultists as \"Thought-forms,\"\nwhich are aggregations of Particles of Thought-stuff energized by\nintense and positive thought, and which are sent out with such intensity\nand positiveness, that they are almost \"vitalized,\" and manifest almost\nthe same degree of mental influence that would be manifested by the\nsender if he were present where they are. This highly interesting phase\nof the subject would take many chapters to describe in detail, and we\nmust content ourselves with a mere passing view. To those who are\ninterested in the subject, the writer would say that he purposes\nconsidering them at considerable length, in the forthcoming book \"_The\nWonders of The Mind_,\" which has been alluded to elsewhere.\n\nBesides the operation of these particles of Thought-stuff emitted during\nthe production of Thought, there are many other phases of Thought\nInfluence, or Thought in Action. The principal phase of this phenomena\narises from the working of the Law of Attraction between the respective\nminds of different people. Just as are the Particles of Substance united\nand connected by \"lines\" of connection, so are the minds of Men\nconnected. And the strong \"pull\" of Desire manifests along these lines,\njust as it does in the case of the Atoms. There has been much written of\nrecent years regarding this \"Drawing Power of the Mind,\" and although\nsome of what has been written is the veriest rubbish and nonsense, yet\nunder it all there remains a strong, form, substantial substratum of\nFact and Truth. Men _do_ attract Success and Failure to them--people\n_do_ attract things to them--as strange as it may seem to the person who\nhas not acquainted himself with the laws underlying the phenomenon.\n\nThere is no \"miracle\" about all of this--it is simply that the Law of\nAttraction is in full operation, and that people of similar thoughts are\ndrawn together by reason thereof. The workings of this Law are somewhat\nintricate, but all of us are constantly using them, consciously or\nunconsciously. We draw to ourselves that which we Desire very much, or\nthat which we Fear very much, for a Fear is a Belief, and acts in the\ndirection of actualizing itself, _sometimes_. But, again, as Kipling\nwould say: \"But, that's another story.\" This phase of the subject is a\nmighty subject in itself, and \"the half has not been told\" even by the\nmany who have written of it. The writer intends to try to remedy the\ndeficiency in his next book, however.\n\nThen, again, the \"Excitement\" of Thought, in the minds of people may be\ntransmitted or communicated to the minds of others, and a similar\nvibration set up, under certain conditions, and subject to certain\nrestraining influences--just as in the case of the Particles of\nSubstances in a body or Mass of Substance. And, in many ways that will\nsuggest themselves to the reader who has mastered the contents of the\nearlier chapters of this book, the phenomena of Dynamic Thought in the\ncase of the Atoms, and Particles, may be, and are duplicated in the case\nof Individual Minds of Men.\n\nThe reader will see, readily, that this theory of Dynamic Thought, and\nthe facts noted in the consideration thereof, give an intelligent\nexplanation for the respective phenomena of Hypnotism, Mesmerism,\nSuggestion, Thought-transference, Telepathy, etc., as well as of Mental\nHealing, Magnetic Healing, etc., all of which are manifestations of\n\"Dynamic Thought.\" Not only do we see, as Prentice Mulford said, that\n\"Thoughts are Things,\" but we may see \"_just why_\" they are Things. And\nwe may see and understand the laws of their production and operation.\nThis theory of Dynamic Thought will throw light into many dark corners,\nand make plain many \"hard sayings\" that have perplexed you in the past.\nThe writer believes that it gives us the key to many of the great\nRiddles of Life.\n\nThis theory has come to stay. It is no ephemeral thing, doomed to \"die\na-borning.\" It will be taken up by others and polished, and added to,\nand shaped, and \"decorated\"--but the fundamental principles will stand\nthe stress of Time and Men. Of this the writer feels assured. It may be\nlaughed at at first, not only by the \"man on the street,\" but also by\nthe scientists. But it will outlive this, and in time will come to its\nown--perhaps long after the writer and the book have been forgotten.\n\nThis must be so--for the idea of \"Dynamic Thought\" underlies the entire\nUniverse, and is the cause of all phenomena. Not only is all that we see\nas Life and Mind, and Substance illustrations of the Law, but even that\nwhich lies back of these things must evidence the same Law. Is it too\ndaring a conception to hazard the thought that perhaps the Universe\nitself is _the result of the Dynamic Thought of The Infinite_?\n\nOh, Dynamic Thought, we see in thee the instrument by which all Form and\nShape are created, changed and destroyed--we see in thee the source of\nall Energy, Force and Motion--we see thee Always--present and\nEverywhere--present, and always in Action. Verily, thou art Life in\nAction. Thou art the embodiment of Action and Motion, of which Zittel\nhath said: \"Wherever our eyes dwell on the Universe; whithersoever we\nare carried in the flight of thought, everywhere we find Motion.\" Suns,\nplanets, worlds, bodies, atoms, and particles, move, and act at thy\nbidding. Amidst all the change of Substance--among the play of\nForces--and among and amidst all that results therefrom--there art thou,\nunchanged, and constant. As though fresh from the hand of The Infinite,\nthou hast maintained thy vigor and strength, and power, throughout the\naeons of Time. And, likewise, Space has no terrors for thee, for thou\nhath mastered it. Thou art a symbol of the Power of The Infinite--thou\nart Its message to doubting Man!\n\nLet us close this book with the thought of the Greatness of this Thing\nthat we call Dynamic Thought--which, great as it is, is but as the\nshadow of the Absolute Power of The Infinite One, which is the Causeless\nCause, and the Causer of Causes. And in thus parting company, reader,\nlet us murmur the words of the German poet, who has sung:\n\n  \"Dost thou ask for rest? See then how foolish is thy desire; the stern\n    yoke of motion holds in harness the whole Universe.\n\n  \"Nowhere in this age canst thou ever find rest, and no power can\n    deliver thee from the doom of Activity.\n\n  \"Rest is not to be found either in heaven or on earth, and from death\n    and dying break forth new growth,--new birth.\n\n  \"All the life of Nature is an ocean of Activity; following on her\n    footsteps, without ceasing, thou must march forward with the whole.\n\n  \"Even the dark portal of death gives thee no rest, and out of thy\n    coffin will spring blossoms of a new life.\"\n\n\nFINIS.\n\n\n\n\nSUCCESS-THOUGHT\n\n\nThe desire of every reader is to get, hot from his pen, all that a\nprogressive writer has to say. Readers of this book will be interested\nin knowing that Mr. William Walker Atkinson is on the regular editorial\nstaff of THE SEGNOGRAM, and that the choicest of his \"I Can and I Will\"\npreachments are appearing in each issue of that magazine.\n\nTHE SEGNOGRAM is a monthly magazine for Success-Thought Thinkers and\nReaders. It has one mission to fill--the upbuilding--the betterment of\nman. It has no time to quarrel with any creed, sect, doctrine or belief.\nThe Law of Love is its controlling influence--it has none other. To read\nit is to be imbued with its high teachings. It is a Success Magazine\nthat teaches how to win Success without preaching about it. It believes\nin doing things, because in doing things we win Success.\n\nDo you desire to come in with us? Do you want to join our circle of\nthousands of Success readers? Do you want to get the cream of\nSuccess--thought? If so you must not lag behind. Keep to the front by\nkeeping in touch with Mr. Atkinson and his coworkers, Messrs. A. Victor\nSegno and H.M. Walker.\n\nThe price of the magazine is 50 cents a year, five cents the copy. Write\nfor sample copy if you never have seen it.\n\n\nADDRESS\n\n  The Segnogram Publishing Co.\n  LOS ANGELES, CAL.\n\n\n\n\nTRANSCRIBER'S NOTE:\n\n\nObvious typos and printer errors have been corrected without comment. In\naddition to obvious errors, the following changes have been made:\n\n  Page 17: Missing word \"are\" was added to the phrase, \"And he believes\n    that there are Beings in existence....\"\n\n  Page 86: Missing word \"the\" was added to the phrase, \"... one of the\n    Atoms of our molecule....\"\n\n  Page 100: Missing word \"miles\" was added for meaning in the phrase,\n    \"... the rate of 184,000 miles per second.\"\n\n  Page 107: Missing word \"be\" was added for meaning in the phrase, \"...\n    the Atom was supposed to be a vortex-ring....\"\n\n  Page 189: 'incon-constant' changed to 'inconstant' in the phrase, \"...\n    are changeable, disconnected, and inconstant....\"\n\n  Page 209: 'difference' changed to 'distance' in the phrase, \"And just\n    as Particles are influenced at a distance by other Particles, so are\n    Men influenced at a distance by other Men.\"\n\nOther than the above changes, no attempt has been made to correct common\nspelling, punctuation, grammar, etc. The author's usage is preserved as\nprinted in the original publication. Unconventional and/or inconsistent\nspelling which has been preserved includes, but is not limited to the\nfollowing:\n\n  seive\n  Corelation\n  terrestial\n  mould/ mold\n\nInconsistent hyphenation which has been preserved includes:\n\n  to-day/ today\n  view-point/ viewpoint","title":"Dynamic Thought; Or, The Law of Vibrant Energy","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":46580}