THE L IT T L E B OO "

L IFE A FT E R D E A T H

G U STA V TH E O D O R FE C HNE R

TRA NSLA TE D FROM THE GE RMA N BY

MA RY C
. WA DSWO RTH

W ITH A N INTR D UCTI O O N BY

W ILLIAM JAMES

mm
Indeuen , [r ea l as i er w ar mm sein e Wan da w atch""
an
m
a nd ca e E M : 111 A nde rs m m mkt
gr etf S hill ”
in:c er
m
.

Brhtwoch-e l it Goe the . III, 8 53. .

O STO N
B
BRO W N CO MPANY ,

19 0 5
 Copyright 190 4 , ,

B Y LITTLE , BRO W N, A ND CO MPANY .

A ll fi ght: reserv ed

Pub li shed Octo b er, 1904

THE UNIV E R SITY PR E SS, CA H B RIDGE , A .

 THE LITT LE B OO "

L IFE A FT E R D E A TH
 TO

ISID O R E A ND E LI"A B E T H

H
DA UG TE RS O F HIS FR I END

CH F GRIMME R
. .

THE A UT H OR
 INTR O D UC TION

GLA D L Y accep t the transla tor s

1
’

rn ish a
in vi ta tion to fu few w ords

of i n tr o duc ti o n Fechn er s
’
to

B uchlein mL eben na ch dem T de

vo o ,

the more so as its so mew ha t or cula ly a r

uttered sen ten ces r equire , fo r their p rop er

un derstan ding , a certain a cquain tan ce
with their rela tions to his g en era l system .

Fechner s
’
me
li ves in physi cs as
na

that (
f o ne
of the ea r li est a n d b est de

m
ter i ne rs of ele ctri cal co n sta n ts a lso as ,

that of the b est syste matic defe n de r o

f
the ato m
i c theo r
y . In
p y
s cho lo
gy i t is a

commonplace to g lorify hi as th m
e first

f
us er o experi me t l mth d
n a e o s, an d the

V 11
 INTR OD UC TION

fi rst ai mer a t ex a ctitude in f c ts a . In

c osmology he is kn ow n as the h
a ut o r
f
o

a syste m of e v olution which, while

taki ng g rea t ccoun t of physi ca l details
a

an d m echa n ica l c on ce tions m a k

p es co n ,

sci ousn ess correla tiv e to a n d co ev a l wi th

the w hole p hysical w or ld In li tera tur e

.

he has m a de h is m ark b
y c er ta in ha l
f
hum oristic ha lfphilosophic essays p ub
,
-

lished un der the na me of D Mises r .

i n de ed the presen t b o oklet o ri

gi n a ll a
y p
p ea r ed un der tha t na me . In aesthetics
hemay lay claim to b e the earli est sys
tema tica ll m iri ca l studen t In me ta
y e
p .

h
p ysi cs he is n ot o n ly the author o
f an

in depen den tly reasone d ethi al c syste m ,

b ut o
f a theo logi cal theory w orked o ut

i n g reat detail . H is mi n d in, h

s o rt,

w as o ne
of those multitudinously org an
v iii
 INTR OD UC TION

ized cross roads of

-
truth, w hi ch a re

o ccupied on ly a t ra re in terv a ls by chil

dren o
f me n , an d
f m
ro wh ich n othi ng is
ei ther to o f ar or too n ea r to b e seen in
due perspective Patien t observ ation
.

a n d da ri n
g i ma in a tion
g dw e lt han d

i n ha n d in Fechn er ; an d
p e c
r e tio n ,
p
eeli ng ouri sh
reaso nin , a n d
g f a ll
fl e d on

the la rg est s a le
c wi thout in terferi ng
eith with the o th
f n c tion
’
er er s u .

Fechn er w as, in f c
a t , a
p hi loso h
p er i n

the
"
g reat
”
se nse o
f the ter m a lthoug h
,

he cared so much less than most philoso

phers do
f p
or u rel l
y go i c a l a bstra ctions .

For him the a bstract liv ed in the con

crete ; h g h he w o rked as defi
a n d a lt ou

n i tel a n d techn ica ll th a w t

y y as e n rro e s

s eci alist w or ks in each o

p f the m a n y li n es

f
o ci en ti c
s
fi in q uiry w hich he successi v ely
1X
 INTR OD UC TION

follo wed, he follo w ed ea ch and al l of

the mf or the
f m
sake o aste r his on e over

ing g en era l purp ose the pu pose n a me ly ,

r

f
o elab ora tin
g w hat he called the "
da y
lig ht view -

f
o the w orld in to g reater an d

g rea ter syste ma d co p le ten ess

n m .

B y the da ylig ht vie w as con trasted

-

wi th the ni
g ht v ie
-
w Fe chner , mea nt the

a n ti -
materialistic view ,
—the view that

en ti e m
"
the ra teri al un iv e
in stead cy rse,

b eing dead, is in w a rdly ali ve and con

sci ously an i a ted m
Ther e is hardly a
.

a
pg e o
f his w ri ting tha t w as p n ot ro b a

bly con nected i n his min d with this mt

os

Little by li ttle the m a teria listic g en

cration that calle d his specula tions fan

tastic has b een re
p laced by one with

g reater lib erty f

o mg i i a n a tion . Lead
X
 INTR OD UC TION

c mof thoug ht, a P aulsen , a Wundt ,

L asswitz, treat Fechn er s

’

a Preyer , a

p an -

p y
s chismas p la usib le , an d w rite o
f
its h
a ut or with v enera tion . Young er
me n chime Fechner s philosophy
in , an d
’

r om o b e co m scien ti ca lly ashi

p ises t e fi f on

ab le Im
. a i n e a H er b er t S en cer w h
g p o ,

to the un ity o h is systema n d its un ceas

f
ing touch withfacts should ha ve a dde d ,

a
p g ph
ositiv ely r eli i o us
i loso h
p y ins tea d
n cer s dr a n ostici sm w h h
of p ld
’
S e y g o s ou
have m ing le d hum or an d h h
'

t ss ( even
g ne

tho u hit w er e
g g er man ic lig htn ess) with
his heavi er r atioci n a tions who h
s ould

ha ve b een no less en cyclopedi c an d

f ar

more sub tle ; w ho should ha ve h

s ow n a

p erson a l life as si m
p le an d as conse

crated to the on e pursui t

of truth,

imagi ne this, I say if you can

, , an d
y ou
XI
 INTR OD UC TION

may for msome idea of w hat the a me n

is m o e a d m ror e com i g to
n n

sta n d
f or a d, of the n este em i n w hi ch i t

is m or e an d m ore h e ld b y th e studi ous

h h a tiv e Germ H b
y ou t of is n an
y is e .

lief tha t the w ho le m a teria l un iv erse is

con sci ous in div e rs spa n s an d w ave

leng ths , in clusi ons an d e n v elop me n ts,

seems assu edly destine d t f u d sch l

r o o n a oo

tha t wi ll ow m or e systematic an d
g r

solidified as time
g oes o n .

The g enera l b ackgr oun d of the p res

en t dog ma tic ally w ri tte n li ttle tre a tise is
”
to b e f oun d in the Tag esan si cht , in
”
the "en d A v esta ,
-
a n d in v a ri ous o t e r h
w orks o f F ech O n ce h
’
n er s g ras
p
. t e

i de a listic n otion tha t in n er exp eri en ce is

the rea li ty , an d that matter is but
'

f m
or i n w hich in n er e xperien es c may
x ii
 INTR OD UC TION

on e an oth w hen they

a
pp e ar to er
afi ect

ea ch other fr om the outsi de a n d it is

easy to b eliev e tha t con sci ousness or

in n er experi en e c n ev er
gor i
i n a te d or ,

dev elope d of , out the un con sci ous but ,

tha t i t a n d the physi ca l un iv e rse ar e co

cts of on e sefi same reality

e tern a l aspe -

much as con cave an d con vex are aspects

of on e curv e P s ch
y o h
p ysi c.a l mo v e

men t as Fechn er calls it is the most

,
”
,

p reg n an t n a me for a ll the reahty that '

is . As moveme t it has a direc

n

tion as
"
p c
syhi cal the direction can be

felt a s a
"
ten den cy a n d as a ll tha t lies

con n ected in the w ay of in ner expe

r ien ce wi th ten ck n ci es de sire efor t
, , ,

or ex am le h l h
success
f i i c l "
,p w e as
p y s a

th e dir ecti on ca n b e de n e d in s a tia l

fi p
ter m s a n d orm
f u la te d m a th em a tically o r

x iii
 INTR OD UC TION
”
other wise in the shape cy a descriptive
”
"
law .

B ut moveme ts n can bep su eri mposed

an d comp oun ded , the smaller on the

g r e a ter , as w av elets upon w a v es . This

is as true in the me in the phyfi
n ta l as

cal s
phere Speaki ng psycho logi cally ,

we may say tha t a

g enera l w av e o f con

u
sci o sn ess rises out of a su bconsci ous
backg roun d , an d that certain portion s

of it catch the e m
phasis , as w avelets
catch the lig ht The w hok process is
.

con scious but the em ,p hat i c w av e ti

p o
s f -

the consciousn ess a r e

of such c on tra cted

span that they ar e mm o en tarily insu

la ted fr omthe r est . They r eali z e the m
l
se v es ap ar t, as a twig mig ht r eali ze

itself; d forg et th
an e paren t tr ee Such .

an insulated bit of experien ce leav es ,

x iv
 INTR OD UC TION

how ev er , w hen itpasses away, a memory

f
o itself: The r esi dua l an d subse
quen t

consci ousn ess b ecomes

having o On the physi cal side

ccurred .

w e say that th e brain pr ocess tha t cor re-

spen de d to i t a ltered p er an en tly th e m

future mode of action of the b r ain .

Now , a ccor ding to Fechn er , our b od

ies are just w av elets on the su
rf of
c
a e

the earth . We g r ow upon the earth as

leav es g row upon a tree an d our con ,

sci ousn ess arises out of the w ho le ear th

s i
co c ou e
n sn ss — wh ichitforg ets to tha nk
, ,

— within
just as our consci ousn ess an

e m
p hatic ex
p erien e c a rises, an d makes

us f or
ge t the w hole b ackgr oun d of
experien e c without w hi ch it could not

have co me . B ut as i t si n ks a
g ai n in to
that backgr oun d it is n ot
f org otten .

XV
 INTR OD UC TION

On the con trary , it is re membe re d an d,

as r ememb ered leads a freer life fo it

, ,
r

n ow com bi es itself a co nsci ous i de a

n , ,

w ith the i umera b le

nn e qu lly consci ous , a

i de f t
as ohe e mo
e m b er e d th
r r i ng s E ve . n

so is i t, w hen w e die , wi th the w ho le

syste m of our o utli v e d experi en es c .

Duri ng the life f

o o ur b o dy , a lthou g h
they w ere a lw ays e le men ts in the mor e
g en era l en ve lop ing e a r th onsci ousn ess,
-
c
ye t they mselv es w ere u min dful of
the n

th N o w im r esse d on th e wh ole
e
fact .
p ,

earth m in d as m
-
em ories th ey le a d th e ,

life o f ide as th ere a n d r ea lize them ,

l
se v es n o lo ng er in iso la tion , but a lon
g
with a ll the si mila r v esti es
g left by o ther
human li ves , en teri ng wi th these in to

n ew combin a tion s ej ected anew by ex -

he li ving an d a e cting th
'

p f
erien ces o t fi e ,

XVI
 INTR OD UC TION

w eavi ng in to the total cosmi c life of

God .

The w hole hm
sc e e , as the reader sees,

is g otfro mthe f c t t
aha t the p
s an
of o ur

ow n in ner life a ltern a te ly con tracts an d

expan ds . You can n ot say w her e the
ex act outli n e of a n y pr esen t state of
con sci ousn ess lies It sha de s in to a m
. or e

ene r al b ackgr oun d in w hich ev en n ow

g
o ther sta tes lie r eady to b e kn o w n . This
b ackgr oun d is the in ne r aspe ct of w hat
h ll rst as our resi dual
p y si ca a
y pp ear
fi , ,

an d on ly pa rtia lly ex ci ted n eural ele

men ts an d then mo re re motely as the

,

w hole g
or m h
a n is
w i ch w e c a ll our o wn .

This i de t m
n i ati
er cf n on th i tion ,
e p ar t

this f c t
a
f
o a changi ng thresho ld, is the

an a lo
gy w hi ch Fechn er g en era lizes, that

is all
.

xviii
 INTR OD UC TION

There man y dfi culties attachi g

ar e i n

to h is theory The com p le.x i ty w i th w hi ch

he hi m sel r ea lizes th
f em a d th e sub tle ty , n

w i th w h i chhe m ee ts themare a dm irab le .

It is in ter esting to see ho w closely his

spe cula tions , due to su ch diferen t mo
tives, a nd su
pp or ted by such difere n t
ar
gu en tm
s, a ree w ith th
g ose of so e
of m
h loso h oyce s G or d
i R ifi
’
our o w n ers
p p .

le ctures , Wor ld a n d the Indi vid

The
”
B ra dley s Appearan ce an d R ea li ty
’
ual, ,

an d A . E Taylor s E le
. men ts of Meta
’

h
p ysi cs ,
”

pr esen t the mselv es imme di a te ly

to one s
’
min d .

WILLIAM JAMES .

Chocorua , NH . .
, June 21, 190 4 .
PRE FA CE TO
THE SE COND
E DITION

fi rst e dition
of this li ttle
b ook appeared in the year 18 3 6

un der the p en n am M ”

f i "
e c ses

and w as pub lishe d by my friend , long

i
s n ce dead , the b ook dealer
-
an d co m
p oser , Ch F. . Gri mmer . It made its
w ay quietly , like the fi rst edition
f
o its
a uth life of w hich the little b ook w as
’

or s ,

a
p art, w hi le c heri shi n
g the exp ec ta tion

of a se on d
c Wi th the years of the
.

one
fi rst edition the cop ies o
f t
,he o ther ,

witho ut b eing yet quite ex hausted, a re

m
di i nishing .

While I dedi ca te this c

se o n d e di tion ,

issued fro mano the friendly publishi

r n
g
XX I
 PR E FA CE

house , an d under my ow n n ame to the ,

b elo ved daug hters of m d

y pe arted ri en d
f
im
,

in w h om is con tin ue dfor us tha tkn ew h

a ll tha t w e lov ed in him I be li eve, in
,

the sense o f the v ery view w hi ch is set

forth in this b ook, that I a m g ivi n

g
i t b ack to my frie nd in the w ay he
w ould b est like . He has, in deed, a per

petua l p
s i ri tua l cla im up on the ear lie r

material; for it mai ly as

o rigi n a ted n

the result f
o ta lks wi th hi m ab o ut an
ide aof our mutual fri en d B illroth,
which thoug h cursori ly
, expressed a nd

he ld by the la tter yet took deep root in

,

the h e a r t of the a uthor It w as a li ttle.

seed, a tree has g r o wn f mi t

ro; he has
he lped to lo osen the earth or f it .

L et me he re add a w ish: that there

mig ht be a r eviva l m
of y frien d s song s
’

xxii
 PRE FA CE

so b eautiful an d so
f or
g otten , as w ell as

f
o this ha
iff -

g or otten li ttle b ook . The

creation o b othw en t on
f so ha n d in han d
during a
p of
eri od c omp daily
an i on

ship , tha t they seemto echo an d re ech o in -

my m em or y like in terming le d m elo dies .

Sim le as their ch armis m ay th e h a ve

p y ,

a duration ev en b eyon d that

of the m u si c
f f
o the utur e;
f or soun d drown s b eauty,

y et b eauty outli v es soun d, an d w hat

b egi ns loud ca n n o t so en d . B ut if I
di d no t b eli eve tha t the sa me is true

of truth as
of b eauty, how h
s o uld I
hope f or a
future
f or the opinion s
of
thi s b ook "
The reason for ex cha ng ing the former

p en n a
-
me now for the auth
’
or s o w n , was

person a l . The li ttle pap er at its fi rst

a
pp eara n ce was a diverg ence f mt
rohe

xx iii
 PR E FA CE

chief characteri stics of the author s other ’

w orks; b ut it b eca m e the

firstli n
g of a

series o
f la ter w ri tin s, a
g pp ea ri n
g un der

his m
o wn n a e , w h ich, in their con ten ts,
confor mto it mor e or less, an d to w hich
it may therefore be a dded by the ascrip

a com m Fin ally their

tio of
n o n o ri
gi n .
,

r esults r omth
g r ou i n
p g f e c onsi dera tion

tha t they com bin e w iththe w ork b efore us

to forma con n ected th l
y if h h
’

e ory c e w i c
artl su or ts, artl i u t d b
p y ppp y s s
ppor e y
the con ten ts of this b ook A further
.

carrying out of this vi ew , on ly b ri efly

de velop ed here, may be f oun d in the

thi rd p f
ar t o the "en d A vesta -
.

This edition has o n ly b een a ltered in

m
un i portan t res e
p cts, ex ten ded in sev

e ra l, m h o m
f t e
ro
f er r .

xx iv
A PPENDIX TO TH E FIRST
EDITION

H E first sug g estion of the idea

w orked o ut in this p aper , th
a t

the spiri ts of the de ad con tin ue

to exi st in the living as in dividua ls,
came to me throug h a con versatio n w ith

my frien d Professor B illro th, then liv

ing in L eipzig , n ow in H a lle While .

this idea, in a series of rela ted i ag es, m

b oth appea le d to e m
a nd a w akene d

kindred it took pro m

ones, in en t shape ,
an d th ro u h a sort
g of f e n orced
pro

ressi o n ex ten de d to th a h h
g e ide a o
f ig er

life f
o spirits in God . Mean while the

o rigin a tor, as in the p hilosophy of reli

x xvii
A PPENDIX FIR S T EDITION ,

i n in en era l so es eci all in th d

g o g p , y e oc

m
trin e ( f im ortality, took a quite de f er

lin e om th conform mo
ent f r is , i ng re

di rectly to the church dog ma , which led

hima way f m ost a rt

, por the
ifno t w ho lly , ,

ro m h s u dam al idea so tha t wh

f t i f e t n n ile , ,

I ha d tho ug ht i t c
n e essary to p oin t to

himas its a uth I long er v en ture

’

or , no

to call himits a dv o a te c . The views

of
this philosopher up on the sub ej c t i n
q ues

tion will b e de veloped in a w ork by him

shor tly to appear .

Written in Gaste in in
August, 18 3 5 .

xxviii
LIFE A FT ER D EA T H

CHA PTE R I

A N live s upo n the e arth n o t

o n c e , b ut thre e times His .

first ge o f life is a c o n tin u

sta

o us sle e
p ; t h e se c o n d is an alte rn atio n

b e twe e n sle e pin g an d wak in g ; the third

is an e te rn al w akin g .

In the first stage m an liv e s alo n e in

dark n e ss ; in the se c o n d he li v e s with

c o mpan io n s n e ar an d amon g o the rs
, ,

b ut de tac he d an d in a light whic h pic

ture s fo r mth xt i
hi e e er o r in the third
his life is m g d withth t
er e a h
o f o t e r so uls

in to the highe r life of the Supre m e

 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

Spirit an d he disc e rn s the

, re alit y of

m
ulti ate thin gs .

In the first sta e g the b ody is de v e l

Ope d fro m the ge r m an d e vo lve s its

e ui
q p m en t fo r c o n d ; in the
the se

se co n d the spirit un fo lds fro m its se e d

b ud an d re aliz e s its po we rs fo r the third ;
in the third is de ve lo ped the divin e
spark which lie s ve ry human so ul
in e ,

an d whic h alre ady he re thro ugh

, pe r

c e tio n
p faith,fe e lin g t h
,e in tuitio n o f ,

Gen ius de mo n strate s the w o rld be yo nd

,

man to the
in the third stage as
so ul

c le ar as day, tho ugh to us o b sc ure .

The passin g fro the first to the m

c
se on d sta e called b irth; the transi
g is
tio n fi o m the se c o n d to the third i s
calle d de ath .

The w ay upo n w hic h w e pass fro m

the se con d to the third stage is n ot

2
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

dark e r than that b y which w e re ach the

se c on d fro m
the fi rst The o n e le ads to
.

the o ute r, the h

o t er to the in n e r aspe ct
of t eh wo rld .

But as the child in the firs t stage is

still b lin d an d de af to all the glo r and
y
jy
o o f the l ife o f th e se c o n d a
, n d h i s

birth fro mthe warmbo dy o f his mo the r

18 hard an d ain ful w ith a m m t w h
p , o e n e n

the disso lutio n o f his e arlie r e x iste n c e

fe e ls like de ath b e fo re the awak e n in g
,

to the n e w e n viro n m en t with o ut has

oc c urre d 8 0 w e in o ur re se n t e x ist
p
-

e n c e in wh
, i c h o ur whole c o n sc io usn e ss
lie s bo un d in o ur c o n trac te d body as ,

e t kn o w n oth i g f th l d d
y n o e s
p e n o r an

harmo ny the radian c e an d fre edo mof

,

the third stage an d e asil

, y h o ld t h e

dark an d n arro w w ay whic h le ads us

in to it as a b lin d pitfall which has n o
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

o utle t . But de ath is onl y a co n d

se

birth in to x iste n c e in
a fre e r e , whic h
the spirit b re ak s thro ugh its sle n de r
c o ve rin g an d ab an do n s in actio n an d
slo th as , the c hild do e s in its fi rst
b irth .

The n all, which with o ur rese n t

p
se n se s o n ly re a c he s us as e xte rio r an d ,

as were
it , fro m afar w e b e c o me pe n e
,

trate d with an d o sse sse d o f

p in all its
de pth o f re alit
y . The pi
srit will n o

lo n ge r wan de r o ver m o un tain an d fi e ld,

or be surro unde d b y the de lights of

sprin g, o n l y tomo u rn that it all se e ms

e xterio r to him; b ut, transc e n din g

e arthl y limitati will fe e l n ew

o n s, he
stre n th an d jo y i n gro win g
g H e will .

n o lo n g e r struggle by pe rsuasi v e w o rds

to pro duc e a tho ught in o the rs b ut in ,

the im medi ate in fluen ce of so uls upo n

 CHA PTER II

HE c hild has me re ly
un b o rn
a c o r o re al fram a fo rm i g
p e n ,

p rin c i le
p T h e c re atio n an d
.

de v e lopme n t o f its li mb s b y whic h it

re ac he s full gro wth are its o w n ac ts .

It has n o t ye t the fe e lin g that the se

parts are its po sse ssio n fo r it n e e ds

,

the m n o t an d c an n o t use the m A .

fin e e e, a
y b e autiful mo uth , are to hi m
onl
y o bj e c ts to be se c ure d un co n
sc io usly , so that the y may so me time
b e c o me ser vi c e ab le p arts of himse lf .

The y are m de a fo r b
a su se uen t
q wo rld
of whic h the child as t k n o ws n o th
y e

fashio n s the m by v irtue o f an

in g : it
impulse b lin d to him whic h is c le arly
, ,

6
 LIFE A F TER D E A TH

e sta blishe d alo n e in the

gan i z atio n o f or

the m o the r But whe n the child ripe

‘
.
,

fo r the se c o n d stage o f life slips away ,

fro mthe o rgan re pre se n tin g the pro vi

1
It m y th us b e more clearly stated to the
a

ph ysiologist The creative principle of the child

:

lies b efore b irth not in that w hich after b irth

, ,

will contin ue to live on with him w hich indeed ,

now is only dependence the prod uct b ut i that, ,

n

which at b irth will remain b ehind and b e cast ff o ,

like the b ody of m in death ( pl t umpu ian acen a c n

culo m
u bilica li, men tis ovi eorumque liquoribus)
l
ve a

o ut of its activity e m erges as its continuation the

, ,

y oung h uman b ein g .

[I n the e m b ry onic period it see med to the

child th t th placenta was its body and it was
'

a e ,

act ually its special emb ry onic b ody useless in ,

an ~

other stage and rejected as refuse at the moment

,

of birth O u body in h uman life is like a second

. r

envelope which is useless to the third life d for ,

an

this reason w e reject it at the moment of u o r

second b irth Human life as compared with the

.

celesti l is truly e mb ry onic

a EL PH L w" . I AS a n
 LIFE A F TER D E A TH

sio n fo r his fo rme r n e e ds, it le ave s it

b e hin d , an d sudde nl y se e s itse lf an in
de pe n den t un io n o f all
c re ate d parts its .

This e ye e ar an d mo uth n o w b e lo n g to
, ,

him; an d e v e n if ac q uire d o n ly thro ugh

an o b sc ure in b o rn se n se he is le arn in g ,

to k n o w the ir pre c io us use s The wo rld .

o f ligh t c o lo r to n e e rfum taste

, p , e , , ,

an d fe e lin g is o n l n o w re v e ale d as the

y
are n a in w hic h the fun c tio n s ac uire d
q
to that e n d are to o
p e rate fo r hi m if he
,

mak es th mse vi c e able

e r an d stro n g .

The re latio n o f the first stage to the

se c o n d re c urs in a higher de gre e in the

re latio n s of the c
se o n d to the third .

O ur who le acti on an d w ill in this wo rld

is e x ac tly c alc ulate d to pro c ure fo r us
an o rgan ism whic h in the n e x t w o rld
, , ,

w e shall pe rc e iv e an d use as o ur Se lf .

All spiritual in fl ue n c e s all re sults o f ,

8
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

the m an i e statio n s
f whic h in the life
time o f a m an
g o fo rth fro m him to , be
in terwo v e n with hu man ity an d n ature ,

are alre ad y
by a se cre t an d in
un ite d
visible b o n d ; the y are the spiritual
lim b s o f the man which he e x e rcise s ,

durin g life while still b o un d to a spirit

ual b o dy to an o rgan ism full o f un sat
,

isfie d upre achin g po we rs an d activitie s

, ,

the c o n sc io usn e ss o f whic h still lie s o ut

side him tho ugh in se arab ly in te rwo v e n
, p
with his pre se n t e xiste n c e ye t o n ly in , ,

ab an don in g this can he re c o gn iz e it as

,

his ow n .

But in the mm owhe n en t o f de ath,

the man is separate d fro m the o rgan
upo n which his ac q uisitive e ffo rts w e re
b e n t he re he sudde nly re c e ive s the co n
,

scio usn e ss o f all whic h as a re sult o f

,

his e arlie r e x te ri o r life 1n the wo rld

9
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

o f ide as,
p o c we rs
ti v iti an d a
e s still sur
, ,

vi ve s pre vails fl o win g o ut as fro m a

, ,

w ell sprin g while still b e arin g also

-

within himself his o rgan i c un ity1

This ho we ver n o w b e c o me s livin g
, , ,

c o n sc io us in de pe n de n t an d acc o rdin g
, , ,

to his de stin y c o n tro ls m , an kin d an d

n ature withh is o w n c o mple te d in dividual

po w er .

W hate ve r an y o n e has c o n trib ute d

durin g his life o f c re atio n fo rmatio n
, , ,

re se rv atio n to the sum o f hum an

or
p ,

ide alism is his immo rtal part whic h

, , ,

in the third stag e will c o n tin ue to ,

o e rate e v e n if the b o dy to whic h in

p , ,

the se c o n d this w o rkin g po w e r w as

,

b o un d we re lo n g sin c e de stro yed W hat

,
.

millio n s w ho have die d have ac q uire d ,

e rfo rm e d an d tho ught has n o t die d

p , ,

with the m — n o r will it b e un do n e by

10
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

what the ne xt milli ons shall have ac

q uire d,
pe rfo r m
e d, an d tho ugh t, b ut co n

tin ue s its po we r, un fo lds itse lf in the m

s on tan e o usly ,
p mi mpe ls
to w ards athe
gre at go al which the y do n o t the mse lve s
c er e i
v
p e .

This ide al vival see ms in de e d to

sur

us o n ly an ab strac tio n an d the c o n tin ue d

,

in fl ue n c e of the so ul o f the de ad in the

livin g b ut an e mpty f an cy .

But it o n ly a
pp e ars so to us b e c ause
we have no
po we r to pe rc e iv e in the m
s
pirits in the th ird stage to c o
p re hen d
, m
a
p re de stin e d an d
per m
an e n t e x iste n c e ;

we c an o nl c o gn iz e the c o nn e ctin g
y re

lin k o f the ir e x iste n c e with o urs the ,

ortio n o f in c re ase with in us a e arin g

p pp ,

un de r the fo rm o f tho se ide as which

have be e n tran smitte d fro m the m to
us . A ltho ugh the un dulatin g c ircle
II
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

which a sin kin g sto n e le ave s b e hin d it

in the w ate r c re ate s b y its c o n tac t a
, ,

n e w c ircle aro un d e v e ry ro c k whic h still

roj e c ts ab o v e the surfac e it still re tain s

p ,

in itse lf a c o n n e cte d c irc um fere n c e which

stirs an d c arri e s all with i n its re ach ; b ut
the ro ck s are o n ly aw are o f the b re ak
in g o f the pe rfe ct li n e W e are j ust
.

suc h ign o ran t o bj e c ts o nly that w e um

, ,

lik e fl x e d ro ck s while e v e n still in life

, ,

she d ab o ut us a c on tin uo us flo w o f
in fl ue n c e whic h e xte n ds itself n o t o nly
aro un d o the rs b ut Within the m .

Al re ady in fac t durin g his life time

, , ,

e v e ry m an with his in fl ue n c e gro ws in to

o the rs th ro ugh w o rd e x am le writin g

, p , ,

an d de e d . W hile Go e the lived co n ,

te m o rary m illi o n s b o re vvithin t h em

p
-

s ark s fro m h i s so ul an d were the re b y

p ,

n N a o le o n s life n e arly
’
n e wl k in dl e d I p
y .

12
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

so n ality far surpassin g the in flue n c e s

which w e still disc ern as c o min g fro m
the m .

The gre ate st e xa mple of a mighty

so ul which still liv e s o n ac tive ly in
afte r age s
-
is Christ It is n o t an .

e m ty sayin g that Ch ri st liv e s o n in his

p
fo llo wers ; e v ery true Christian ho lds
him n o t o nly re lative ly b ut ab so lute ly
within his he art E ve ry o n e is a par
.

tak e r in him w ho ac ts an d thin k s in

o be die n c e to his law , fo r it is the Chri st
that pro mpts this thin kin g an d a ctin g
in ea He has e x te n de d his in flu
ch .

e n c e thro ugh all the m em b e rs o f his

Churc h an d all c lin g to ge the r thro ugh
his Spirit lik e the apple to its ste m the
, ,

bran c he s to the vin e Fo r as the b o dy

.

is one, an d hath man y me mb e rs, an d

all the m mbe e rs o f that o n e b ody b e in g

,

14
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

man y , are o n e b o dy : so also is Christ .

( 1 Co r . x ii. Ye t n ot onl
y the
gre ate st so ul s b ut e very stro n g man
,

awak e s in the n e x t w o rld in c o n sc io us

tho ugh in c o m p le te
p o sse ssio n o f an

o rgan ism whic h is a un io n o f e te rn al

s iritual ac q uire m e n ts an d in fl ue n c e s
p ,

with a gre ater o r smalle r e xte n t o f re

alizatio n an d m o r le ss o we r to
, o re
p
un fo ld furthe r acc o rdin g as the so ul
,

o f the m an hi m se lf in his li fe tim e has

adv an c e d an d g ain e d
g ro un d B u t he .

w ho has c lun g to the e arth an d has ,

o n ly use d his o we rs in u u it f th
p p rs o e

mate rial life the ple asure s an d n e e ds o f

,

the b o dy w i ll fin d b ut an in sign ifi can t

,

Many b i blical parallels similar to this are

1

placed together in "end A vesta III p 3 6 3 and -

. .
,

drei Motiven u d Grunden des Glaub ens

n
,

p 178
. .

IS
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

re m n an t o f li fe surv i vin g . And so the

ri che st will b e c o me the po o re st if he
has his go ld to le an upo n an d the
o nl y ,

oo re st the ri c he st if he use s his stre n gth

p
to w in his life ho n e stly . Fo r what e ach
doe s he re he will have the re an d mo n e y ,

the re will o n ly c o un t fo r what it bro ught

the c o nsume r he re .

The pro b le ms o f o ur pre se n t spiritual

life the thirst fo r the di sc o ve ry o f truth
, ,

which he re se e ms to pro fit us b ut little ,

the striv in g o f e v e ry ge n uin e so ul to

acc o m lish thin g s whic h are m e re l
y for
p
the go od o f po ste rity c o n scien c e an d , ,

the p re e n tan ce that aro use s in us an

un fatho mabl e distre ss fo r b ad ac tio n s ,

eve n tho ugh the y brin g us no disad

van tage here , ri se fro m haun tin g p re

se n ti me n ts o f what all this will brin g

to us in that wo rld in whic h the fruit
16
 ghte st an d mo st hidde n
'

o f o ur sli ao

b e c o me s a part o f o ur true self

tiv ity .

This is the gre at j ustic e o f c re ation ,

that e v e ry o n e mak e s fo r himse lf the

c o n di tio n s of his future li fe . D e e ds

will n ot be re
q uite d to the m an

thro ugh e xte ri o r wards o r un i sh

re
p
me n ts ; the re is no he ave n an d no

he ll in the usual se n se o f the Christian ,

the Je w , the he athe n , in to whic h the
so ul my e a n te r a fte r de ath . It mak e s
h
n e it e r a s rin
p u
g pw ard n o r a fall do wn
ward n o r co mes to a stan dstill ; it do e s
,

n o t b re ak asun de r n o r disso lv e in to
,

the un iv e rsal ; b ut afte r it has passe d

,

thro ugh the gre at tran sitio n de ath it , ,

un fo lds itse lf acc o rdin g to the un alte r

ab le law o f n ature u o n e arth ste adil
p y
advan c in g ste b t an d ui tl
p y s e
p q e y
,

ro ac hi an d e n te rin g in to a hi g h
a
pp n g e r

2 I7
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

ex isten c e A n d acc o rdin g as the man

.
,

has b e e n go o d o r b ad has b e hav e d n o bly

,

or base ly , w as in dustrio us or idle , will

he fin d himse lf po sse ssed o f an o rg an

ism he althy o r sic k b e autiful o r hate

, ,

ful, stro n
g or we ak , in the wo rld to
c o me , an d his fre e activity in this w o rld
will de te r min e his re latio n to o the r

so uls, his de stin y his , c apac ity an d tal

e n ts fo r furthe r pro gre ss in that world .

The re fo re b e ac tive an d b rave Fo r .

the idle r he re will halt the re the ,

h
e art

b o un d will be of a dull an dwe ak c o un

te n an ce , an d the false and wick e d will

fe e l the disc o rd whic h

his pre se n c e
mak e s in the c o mpan y o f true an d pure
s irits as a pain w hi c h e v e n in that
p , ,

wo rld will still impel himto ame n d an d

,

c ure the e vil which he has c o mmitte d

in this an d will allo w himn o pe ac e n o r
,

18
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

re st un til he has wipe d o ut an d ato n e d

fo r his malle st an d late st e vil de e d

s .

A n d if his c o mpan io n spirits have fo r

lo n g re ste d in Go d, o r rat e r h liv e d as

p artak e rs in His tho ughts he will, still

b e pursue d b y the trib ulatio n an d re st

le ssn e ss o f the e arthly life , an d his

s
piritual diso rder will to r en t e n with m m
ide as o f e rro r an d supe rstitio n le ad ,

the min to v ic e an d fo lly , an d w hile he

himse lf is re tarde d on his w ay to
ac hie ve men t in the third stage he also ,

will ho ld b ack tho se in who m he sur

vive s upo n the ir path fro m the se c o n d
,

to the third .

But ho w e ve r lo n g the false , the e vil

,

an d the b ase may still

p re vail an d

stru ggle fo r its life with the true , the

b e autiful an d the go od — ye t thro ugh
, ,

the e ve r in c re asin g po we r o f truth an d

-

I9
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

the gro win g fo rc e o f e vil s o w n se lf ’

de structiv e re sults it will at last b e

,

c o n q ue re d an d ab o li she d ; an d so o f all
false hoo d all e vil all impurity in the
, ,

so ul o f m an the re will at last b e n o th

,

in g le ft That alo n e is the e te rn al

.
,

im e rishab le art o f a m an that is to

p p
himtrue b e autiful an d go o d
, , A n d if .

o nl a grain o f m u tard se e d o f it i s in
y s -

him the re c o uld b e n o o n e witho ut

o f chafl an d dro ss
'

it so ,p urg e d

thro ugh the purgato ry o f life affl ict ,

in g o n ly the impe rfe ct it will sur ,

vive in the third stage an d e v en if , ,

late b e ab le to gro w in to a n o ble

,

tre e .

ve n yo u who se so ul is
R ej o ic e the n , e

he re tri e d b y trib ulatio n an d so rro w ;

the disc iplin e will av ail m uc h whic h in ,

the b rav e struggle with o b stac les in the

20
 CHA P TER III

A N use s m an
y m e a s to on e n

end ; Go d o n e me an s to man y

e n ds
.

The plan t thin k s it is in its plac e fo r

its o w n purpo se to gro w to to ss in the
, ,

win d , to drin k in light an d air, to pre

pare fragan ce and c o lor fo r its ow n

ado rn men t to l a w ith b e tle s an d

p y , e

b e e s It is in de e d there fo r itse lf b ut
.
,

at the sa me tim e it is onl y on e

p o re of

the e art which light air

h in
, , , an d w ate r

me et an d min gle in pro c e sse s impo rtan t

to the w ho le e arthly life ; it is the re
in o rde r that the e arth may e xhale ,

bre athe we ave fo r itself a gre e n gar

,

men t an d pro vide n o urishmen t raimen t ,

22
 LIFE A FTER DEA TH

an d warmth fo r men an d mals

an i .

Man thi n k s that he is in his plac e

fo r hi mself alo n e , fo r amuse me n t for ,

wo rk an d gettin g his b o dily an d me n tal

,

gro wth; he too is in de e d the re fo r

, ,

him se lf ; b ut his b o dy an d m in d are

also b ut a dwe llin g lac e in to whic h
p
n e w an d highe r impulse s e n te r, mi
g le, n

an d de ve lo p, gage inan d e n all so rts o f

ro c esse s to g e the r wh i c h b o th c o n sti

p ,

tute the fe e li n g an d thin kin g o f the

man an d have their higher me an ing
,

for the third stage o f life .

The min d of man is alik e in distin

uishab ly his ow n o sse ssio n an d that
g p
of the highe r in te llige n c e s, an d what
pro c e eds fro m it b elo n gs e q ually to
b o th always , b ut in differe n t ways .

Just as in this figure which is in ten de d

,

n ot for a re rese n tatio n

p b ut o n ly a

23
 LIFE A FTER DEA TH

symb o l , the
c e n tral c o lo re d six raye d
, ,
-

star ( lo o k in g blac k he re ) c an b e co n sid

e re d as in de e n de n t an d havin g un it
p y
in itse lf ; its rays pro c e e din g fro m the

middl e
po in t are all the re by depen d
e n tl
y m
an d har o n io usl b o un d to g e the
y r

o n the o the r han d it a e a s again m in

pp , r

gle d to ge the fro m the c o n c aten atio n

'

h
o f t e six sin le
g c o lo re d c ircle s , cho n e
ea

24
 LIFE A FTER DEA TH

of whichhas its o w n in dividuality A n d .

as e ac h o f its ra s b e lo n gs as w e ll to
y
it as to the c ircle s thro ugh the o ve r
,

lappin g o f whic h it is fo rme d so is it ,

with the human so ul .

Man do es n o t o ften kn o w fro mwhen ce

his tho ughts c o me to him: he is se iz e d
with a lo n gin g a fo re b o din g o r a jo y
, , ,

which he is q uite un able to acc o un t fo r

he is urge d to a fo rc e o f ac tivity o r a ,

vo ic e warn s him away fro m it witho ut ,

his b e in g c o n sc io us o f an y spe c ial c ause .

The se are the visitatio n s o f spirits whic h ,

thin k an d act in him fro m an o the r

c e n tre than his o w n The ir in fluen c e

.

is e v e n mo re man ife st in us whe n in , ,

ab n o rm al c o n ditio n s ( c lairv o an c
y e o r

me n tal diso rde r) the re all

y m utual re la

tio n of depe n de n c e b e twe e n the m an d

us is dete r mi n e d in the ir fav o r, so that w e
25
 LIFE A FTER DEA TH

on l assi
v e l re c e iv e what fl o ws in to us
yp y
fro mthe m witho ut return o n o ur part
, .

B ut so lo n g as the human so ul i s
awak e an d he alth it i o t the we ak
y s n
,

la thin g o r ro duc t o f the s irits which

p y p p
ro w in to it o r o f whic h it a e ars to
g pp
b e made up b ut pre c ise ly that whic h
,

un ite s the se spirits the in visible c e n tre

, ,

o sse ssin g ri m iti v li v i n g e n e r y full

p p e g ,

o f s iritual po we r o f attrac tio n in whi c h

p ,

all un ite in te rse c t an d thro ugh m

, , utual
c o mmun ic atio n e n ge n de r tho ughts in
e ac h o the r this is n o t b ro ught in to
,

b e in g b y the min glin g o f the spirits ,

b ut is in b o rn in man at his b irth ; an d

fre e will self de te rmin atio n c o n sc io us
,
-

n e ss re aso n an d the fo un dati o n o f all

, ,

s iritual po w e r are c o n tain e d he re in

p .

But at b irth all this lie s still late n t

within lik e an un ope n e d see d awaitin g
, ,

26
 LIFE A FTER DEA TH

de ve lo p men t in to an o r an is
g m full of

vital in div idual a ctivity .

So when man has e n te re d in to life

o the r s
irits e rc e iv e it an d re ss fo r
p p p
m
ward fro all sides an d se e k to add his
stre n
gth to the irs in o rde r to re in o r e
f c
the ir ow n
p o w e r b ut wh
, ile th i s i s suc

c e ssful, the ir po we r b e c o me s at the sam e

time the po sse ssio n of the human so ul

itse lf, is in c o rpo rate d with it an d assists

its de v e lo p m en t .

The o utside s
pi blishe d within
rits e sta

a m an are uit as m uc h ubj c t d t

q e s e e o

the in fl ue n c e o f the hum an will tho ugh ,

in diffe re n t w ay , as
a an is de en de n t
p m
upo n the m
; he can , fro m
the c e n tre o f
his spiritual b e in g e q ually we ll pro duc e
,

n e w gro wth in the s irits un ite d to him

p
within as the se can de fin itely in fl ue n c e
,

his de epe st life ; b ut in har m y

o n io usl

2
7
 LIFE A FTER DEA TH

de ve lo pe d spiritual life no one will has

the maste y r o ve r an o the r . A s e ve ry
o utside spirit has o nl a art o f itself in
y p
c o mmo n with a sin le hu
g man b ein g so ,

c an the will o f the sin le m an hav e a

g
sugge stive in fl ue n c e alo n e upo n a spirit

which with its who le re main in g part lie s

o utside th e m an ; an d sin c e e v e ry hum an

min d c o n tain s within itself so methin g

in c o mmo n with wide ly diffe rin g o ut
side spirits ,so to o c an the w ill o f a

sin le o n e am
g on
g t he m h a v e o nl
y a

ui c k n in in fl ue n c e u n the who le
q e g po

man an d o n ly when he with free

, ,

c ho ic e who lly den ie s himself to sin gle

,

spirits is he de pri v e d o f the c apac ity to

master the m .

A ll irits c ann o t b e un ite d in dis

p s

crim m
in ately in the sa e soul ; there fo re
the go o d an d b ad the true
, an d false
28
 LIFE A FTER DEA TH

an d fights o n whiche ve r side he c ho o se s ;

an d so he c an c arry the day e ve n fo r
the we ak e r impulse s when he j o in s his
,

stre n gth to the irs again st the stron ge r .

The Se lf of the man re main s un en dan

g e re d so h
lo n g
e
p re se rv e s th
as e in b o rn

fre e do mo f his po we r an d do e s n o t b e
c o me tired o f usin g it A s o fte n ho w .
,

e v e r as he b e c o m e s subj e c t to e v il s irits
,
p ,

is it b e c ause the de v e lo pme n t o f his

in te rio r stre n gth is hin dere d by dis
co urage m en t an d so
, to b e c o m , e b ad ,

it is o fte n o nly n e c e ssary to b e c are le ss

an d lazy .

The be tte r the m an alre ad

y i s the
,

e asie r it is fo r hi mto be c m o e still b e tte r ;

an d the wo rse he i much the mo re

s, so

e asil
y is he
q uite ruin e d F o r the
goo d .

m an has alre ady harb o re d an y go o d m

s
pirits , whic h are n ow asso c iated with
30
 LIFE A FTER DEA TH

him against the e v il o n e s re main in g

an d tho se fre shly pre ssin g fo r e n tran c e ,

an d are savin g fo r him his in te rio r

stre n gth . The go od man do e s goo d
witho ut we arin e ss his spirits do it fo r
,

him b ut the b ad man must fi rst o ve r

c o me an d subdue b y his o w n will all the
e v il s irits w hic h have strive n again st
p
him Mo re o ve r k in se e k s an d un ite s
.
,

itse lf to kin an d fl e e s fro mits o ppo site

,

whe n n o t fo rc e d Go od spirits in us
.

attrac t go od s irits o utside us an d th

p , e

e v il spirits in us the e v il o utside P ure

.

s irits turn gladly to e n te r a u re so ul

p p ,

an d e v il w itho ut faste n s u o n the e v il

p
within . I f o n ly the goo d spirits in
o ur so uls have gain e d the u e r han d
pp ,

so o f itse lf the last de vil still re m ain

in g be hin d in us fl e e s aw ay he is n o t
,

se c ure in go o d so c ie ty ; an d so th e so ul

31
 LIFE A FTER DEA TH

of a go o d man b e c o me s a pure an d
he ave nly ab idin g plac e fo r happy in
dwe lli n g spiri ts But e v e n go o d spirits
.
,

if the y de spair o f win n in g a so ul fro m

the fin al m aste r
y o f e vil de se rt it an d
, ,

so it b e c o m e s at last a he ll a lac e fit
p ,

on l
y fo r the to r m
e n ts o f the da n ed m .

Fo r the ago n y o f c o n sc ie n c e an d the

in n e r de so latio n an d un re st in the so ul

of the wi ck e d are so rro ws whic h , n ot

the y alo n e , b ut the c o n de mn e d psirits

within the m also , fe el in still de e pe r

w oe .
 CHA P TE R IV

HILE the highe r pis

ri ts n ot

onl
y dw e ll in in div idual me n,

b ut ea ch e xte n ds itse lf in to
man y , it 18 the y w ho un ite the se men
s
piritually w h e the r
, of one fo rm f o

faith o r truth, o f o n e m o ral or

p o liti al
c
le an in g . A ll m y p
en w ho
iri t have an s

ual fe llo wship with e ac h o the r b e lo n g

to the b o dy o f o n e an d the sa e spirit m
to ge the r, an d fo llo w the ide al whic h has
the re b y b e en b o rn within the m as me m ,

b ers on e of an o the r . O fte n an ide a

live s at o ne time in a w ho le n atio n ,

of
te n mass f m
is a oto o n e en mo ve d
an d the sam e ac tio ; that is a m ighty
n

spi it wh
r ic h se ize s the mall in o n e co n
3 33
 LIFE A FTER DEA TH

tagio us in flue n c e . No t alo n e , in de ed,

thro ugh the pirits o f the de ad do the se
s

allian ce s o cc ur, b ut c o un tle ss n e w bo rn -

ide as flo w fro mthe li vin g to the li vin g

all the se ide as, ho we v e r , which go fo rth
fro m the liv in g in to the w o rld are
alre ad arts of its future iritual
y p p
s

o r an is
g m .

No w whe n tw o kin dre d s

p i rits me et
in human li fe an d are m e rg e d to ge the r

thro ughthe ir c o mm n o se n ti me n ts, while

simultan e o usly th o ugh the i diffe in g

, r r r

traits the y m
, utually in fl ue c e d n an en

rich ac h o the
e at the s m r,e time the a

asso c iatio n s c, n atio n s

ra e s, to whic h ,

e ach first be lon g e d e n te r in to s irit

p ,

ual asso c iation an d e n rich e ac h o the r

thro ugh the ir spiritual po sse ssion s So .

the de v e lopm e n t o f the third stage o f

li fe in m an kin d go e s o n han d in han d

34
 LIFE A FTER DEA TH

in se parab ly w i th that of the pro gre ss

of human ity gradual fo rmatio n
. The
o f the state o f sc ie n c es o f the arts o f
, , ,

human in te rc o urse the gro wth o f this ,

sphe re o f life to an e v e r in cre asin g -

harmo n io usly c o n struc te d whole is the ,

result o f this un io n o f in n um e rab le

spiritual in dividualitie s whi c h liv e in

human ity an d fashio n it in to gre at

s iritual o rgan ism
p s .

Ho w o the rwise c o uld the se glo rio us

re alm s b ase d upo n such un alte rable
,

rin c i le s b e fo rm e d o ut o f the tan gle d

p p ,

e go tism o f in dividuals w ho w ith the ir , ,

sho rt sighte d e e s fro mthe c e n tre c o uld

y
-

se e n o c irc um fere n c e an d at the cir ,

cum fe re n ce c o uld disc e rn n o c en tre if ,

the highe r spirits se e in g cle arly thro ugh

,

the who le did n o t c o n tro l the m

, ac hin

a n d Wh il t h ll u d th
er
y , , e e
y a
pr e ss aro n e

35
 LIFE A FTER DEA TH

c o mmo n divin e c entre an d so in the ir ,

godlik e part mee t to ge the r also le ad ,

the m e n who mthe y in fl ue n c e d un ite d ,

o n to highe r go als .

B ut b e side the harmo n y of s

p irits

which me et an d frate mi ze m
a ic ab ly ,
the re is c o n fli c t o f tho se who se
also a

e x iste n c e is in disagre e m e n t a struggle ,

which will at last w e ar itself o ut ,

so that the e te rn al in its purity shall

alo n e sur viv e . Trac e s o f this warrin g
of fo rc e s are ma n i e ste d
f by m an k in d

in the ri valry o f s ste y ms

, in se ctari an
hatred in , wars an d re vo lutio n s b e twe e n
p rin ce s an d
p p
e o le , an d the n ation s

amo g n ea ch h
o t er .

The m ss
a m n e n ter in to all the se
of e

gre at s i itual mo ve m e ts w ith b lin d

r
p n

faith b lin d o b e die n c e b lin d hatred an d

, ,

ra e ; the y he ar an d se e n o thin g w ith

g
36
 LIFE A FTER DEA TH

stro n g m en w ho have re siste d it have

b e en o verthro wn E ve ry o n e w ho has
.

se t b e fore him h ighe r aims an d kn o ws,

b e tte r ways thithe r has c ho sen a n ew

,

c en tral po in t fo r his mo tiv e po wer ; n o t

as a blin d to o l b ut as o n e w ho fro m
,

his o w n impulse an d un de rstan din g

se rv e s ri
ghte o usn e ss an d W i sdo m
. The
bro w b e aten slav e do e s n o t re n de r the
-

be st se rvic e But in whate ve r w ay me n

.

be gin to se rve God he re the y will c arry

further the re as partak ers o f His divin e
,
 CHA P TER V

is, in de e d po ssib le fo r the spirits

,

o f the livin g an d the de ad to m ee t

un c o n sc io usly in man y ways , an d

also c o n sc io usly o nl y on one side .

W ho can pursue an d trac e o ut this

whole lin e o f c o mmun ic atio n " Le t us
sa b ri e fly : the y m t t g th e r when
y e e o e

in mutual c o n sc io usn e ss an d the de ad

,

are re se n t whe re v e r the y are so co n

p
scio usl
y .

On e mea ns the re is o f attain in g the

highe st c on sc io us me eti g betwe en the
n

li vin g an d the de a d ; it is the me m y or

of the li vin g fo r the de ad . To dire c t

o ur atte n tio n to the de ad is to wak en
a

the irs to us, j ust as a charm whi ch

39
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

is fo un d in a livin g pe rso n e n c o urage s

a c o rre s o n din attrac tio n to ward the
p g
one
pe rceiv in
g i t .

Al tho ugh o ur me mo ry o f the dead

is b ut a n e w c o n sc io usn e ss in re tro ,

s e c t o f the re sults o f the ir k n o wn li fe

p ,

he re ye t the life o n the o the r side will

,

b e le d c o n fo rmab ly to that in this wo rld .

E v e n whe n o n e livin g pe rso n thin k s

o f an o the r a c o n sc io us m utual im u l
, p se

may b e aro use d : b ut it is in o perative

b e c ause o f the still pre se n t c o n fin e s o f
the bo dy O n c e re le ase d ho we v e r b y
.
, ,

de ath that c o n sc io usn e ss se e k s its o w n

,

re alman d i s the n b o rn e u o n a c urre n t

p
the m o re sw ift an d stro n g as it has ,

re v io usly b e e n e x e rte d an d m an ife ste d

p
with fre q ue n c y an d po we r .

No w j ust as o n e an d the me physi

sa

cal blo w is fe lt at the same time by

4 0
 LIFE A FTER DEA TH

the give r an d the re c e ive r so is it b ut ,

a sin gle sho ck o f c o n sc io usn e ss that is

e x e rie n c e d o n b o th side s whe n on e

p
re c alls the de ad to m em o ry R e aliz in g .

alon e th is e arthly side o f c o n sc io usn e ss ,

w e e rr b e c ause w e fail to disc e rn the

o the r an d th is failure b rin gs re sults o f

e rro r an d lo ss.

One be lo ved pe rso n is p arte d fro m

an o the r a w ife
, fro m a husb an d , a

m th
o er fro ma c hild . In v ain do the y
se ar c h in a distan t he ave n the part

of the ir live s that has be e n to rn fro m

the m; in vain the y
c h o ut in to the
re a

vo id withe ye an d han d afte r that whic h

in re ality has n e ver b ee n tak en away
fro mthe m; b e c ause o ut o f the e xte rio r
re latio n s of mutu l a adj ustmen t an d
un de rstan din g, the thre ads o f which
are n o w bro k e n , has s run g o ut o f the
p
4 1
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

depths o f in te rio r c o ns cio usn e ss a dee p

an d un o b structe d un io n , as y e t un fa mil
iar an d un re c o gn iz e d .

Isaw c e a mo the r an xio usly se ekin g

on

thro ugh garde n an d ho use fo r he r livin g

c hild which she w as c arryin g in her
ar ms . Still m o re mi tak e n
s is he w ho
se e k s fo r his de ad in a re m teo an d

de se rte d plac e , whe n he had b ut to

lo o k within to fin d hi still pre sen t m .

A n d if she doe s n ot fin d hi who lly m

the re , did the m th
o er the n c mpl
o e te l y
po sse ss he r c hild e ven while she w as

c arryin g him in her arm The satis s "

factio n s o f the o utward re latio n s the ,

s o k e n w o rd the glan c e o f the e ye the

p , ,

e rso n al c are she can n o m o re hav e o r

p ,

i v n o w fo r the first tim e she has

g e ;
tho se o f the in n e r life ; she m ust sim l
py
re c o gni ze that the re is suc h an in te rio r

42
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

re latio n with its ad van tage s . No wo rd

is spo k e n , no han d e xte n ded to the on e

w ho w e thin k is n ot
p re sen t But if
we kn e w all, a n e w life is to b egin fo r
the li vin g an d the de ad, an d the dead
gain the re b y as we ll as the li v in g .

If w e thin k of the de ad h
ritl
g y,
n ot m e re ly ho ldin g him in m in d he is
,

at thatmm t p o t
en If y u
re sen . o can

d eply sum
e m him he mu t c m if
on , s o e,

y o u h ldohim fast h mu t m i, e s re a n,

if sen se an d tho ught are stro n

g en ou
gh
to b in d an d re tain him .will A n d he
e rc e ive whe the r w e th in k o f himwith
p
lo ve o r with hatre d ; an d the stro n ger
the lo v e o r the stro n ge r the hatred the ,

mo re cle arly he will di sce rn it O n c e .

,

in de e d yo u had a re m
, em bran c e o f the
de ad — n ow u are able to use that
y o

re m em bran ce ; yo u can still kn o win gly

43
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

ble ss or to r men t the de ad with yo ur

m m ie s
e or , be re c on c ile d to the m o r re

mi i
a n n a state o f c o n fl ict — n o t alon e

c o n sc io usly to yo u b ut also to the m .

Have the b e st c o n stan tly in min d an d ,

b e c are ful o n ly that the me mo ry that

ou o urse lf are to le av e b e hin d shall
y y
b e a b le ssin g to y o u in the future W e ll .

fo r himw ho le ave s b e hin d hima tre asure

o f lo v e e stee m ho n o r an d adm
, , iratio n
,

in the me mo ry o f men Suc h e nric h.

me n t is his gain in death sin ce he ac ,

u ires the c o n de n se d c o n sc io usn e ss o f

q
the who le e arthly e stim ate c o n c e rn in g

him; he grasps in full m e asure the

b ushe l o f which in life he c o uld c o un t

,

b ut a fe w k e rn e ls This b elo n gs to
.

the tre asure whic h w e are to lay up

in he ave n .

W oe to himw ho is fo llo wed by e x e

44
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

shall the re b efo un d true an d b y in

cre ase b e gi ve n addi tio n al we ight .

D ivin e j ustic e o v e rc o me s at last all

human inj ustic e .

W hate ve r awak en s the me mory o f

the de ad is a me an s o f calli n g the mt
o

us.

At e ve ry festival which w e de vo te to
the m the y rise up ; the y fl o at ab o ut
e v e ry m on um e n t whic h w e raise to
the m; the y liste n to e v e ry so n g w ith
which w e praise the ir de e ds A life .

e rm fo r a n e w art " Ho w an tiq uated

g
had the se o ld dramas be c o me pro duc e d
,

o v e r an d o v e r ag ain to the w e ary spe c

tato rs . No w all at o n c e ab o v e the

,

ro un d fl o o r with its e xpan se o f o ld

g
o n loo k e rs the re is re ve ale d as it w e re
, , ,

an e n c ircli n g re almfro mwhic h a h ighe r

c o mpan y is seen to b e looki n g do wn ,

46
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

an d straight b e c o me s the highe st

way it
aim o f m e n to gro w in to the lik e n ess

o f tho se ab o v e rathe r than tho se be lo w ,

to re aliz e n o t the desire s o f tho se b e lo w

, .

b ut o f tho se abo ve .

The s of
fers c s of
c f an d the c hurche s
c o n te n d . It is a q ue stio n o f a se c re t,

irratio n al to so me , ratio n al to h
o t ers,

b o th b e c ause to on e an d the h
ot er a

gre ate r myste ry re main s un re v e ale d,

fro m the disc lo sure o f whic h c o me s
q u ite c le arly an d o b vio usl
y th e ro c k

upon which the m in d o f the sco ffe r an d

the un ity o f the c hurch have b e e n
wre ck e d Fo r it is o n ly a supre me
.

e x am ple o f a un ive rsal law in w h i c h

they disc ern an e x c e ptio n to an d ab o ve
all laws .

No t alo n e thro ugh the c o n se crate d

bre ad an d win e do e s Christ re ac h His
47
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

fo llo we rs at the Ho ly Suppe r ; partak e

o f it in pure re me m bran ce o f Hi , an d m
He , with His tho ught , will be n ot o nl
y
with yo u b ut in
, y ou ; the mo re de e ply ,
as y ou ho ld Himmo re in
y o clo sely
u r

he art the m
o re v itall , w i th so
y u c h m
the m
o re stre n th will He fortify
g y ou

e t,w it h o ut c o m m u n io n w ith Him the

y ,

sacram e n t re m ain s b ut m e al an d w ater

an d c o m mo n win e .
 CHA PTER VI

HE lon gin g in e very m an to

meet again af
ter de ath tho se
w ho were mo st de ar to him
he re to have
, c o mmun ic atio n with the m ,

re n e win g the o ld re latio n s, will b e sat

isfied in a mo re
pe rfe c t de gre e than

w as e c ipate d o r ho pe d fo r
ve r an ti .

Fo r in that life tho se w ho we re un ite d

he re b y a c o mmo n spiritual b o n d will
n ot on l
y m e e t b ut wi ll hav e b e c o me

o n e thro ugh this b o n d ; the re will b e

fo r the ma un ifi e d so ul b e lo n ging with

a co m mo n c o n sc io usn e ss to b o th Fo r .

alre ad
y in de e d
, , are the de ad with the
liv in g , as are the livi n g the mse lve s ,

b o un d to ge the r b y c o un tle ss such co m

4 49
 L IFE A F TER D E A TH

mo n tie s b ut o nly whe n de ath loo se n s

the kn o t an d re m o v e s the b o dy whic h

en v elops e v e ry livin so ul will the re

g ,

be added to the un io n of c onsc io usn e ss

the c o n sc io usn e ss o f un ion .

E v ery o n e in the m om e n t o f de ath

will pe rc eive that he still has a plac e

an d b e lo n s in the c o m an y with tho se
g p
o n e b e fo re fro m w ho mth ro u h co m
g , g
mo n in tere sts he has re ce ived help an d ,

so will n o t e n te r in to the third wo rld as

a stran ge u st b ut li k e o n e lo n g e x
g e ,

cted to who mall with who mhe w as

pe ,

he re un ite d thro ugh c o mmo n faith

a ,

k n o wledge an d lo v e will stre tc h o ut

, ,

the ir han ds to draw himto the m se lve s

as a artak e r o f the ir e x iste n c e

p .

I n to sim ilar de e p fe llo wship shall w e

also e n te r with tho se gre at de ad w ho

lo n g be fo re o ur time wan dere d thro ugh

50
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

the se o n d stage o f li e , an d upo n

c f who se
e xample an d te achin g o ur own spiri t

w as mou lde d who e ver here live d

. So ,

who lly in Christ will there b e also who ll y

in Him Ye t his in dividuality w ill n o t
.

b e e xtin guished in the highe r o n e b ut ,

o nl g ain in o we r fro m it an d at the

y p ,

sam e tim e re in fo rc e the stre n gth o f the

highe r Fo r tho se so uls which have

.

gro wn to gether as o n e thro ugh the ir

mo men ts o f sympathy gain fo rc e e ach ,

fro m the h
o t er fo r itse lf , an d at the
sa me ti me c o n firmatio n as in dividuals
thro ugh the un ion of the ir div e rsitie s .

So , man y so uls will mutually

tre n gthen ea ch o the r in the gre ate r
part o f the ir n ature ; o the rs are co n

n e cte d o nly by a fe w c orre spo n din g

q ualiti es .

No t all the se tie s b ased upo n cer

5 1
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

tain s
piritual e x perie n c e s in c o mmo n
will b e pe rman e n t b ut the y will b e so
,

whe n the y are within the re almo ftruth ,

b e auty an d virtue
, .

A ll that do e s n o t b e ar within itself

e te rn al harm on e v e n if it surviv e s this
y ,

life will ye t at last c o me to n aught an d

,

wi ll c ause a separatio n o f tho se so uls

whic h fo r a time had b ee n un ite d in an
un wo rthy allian c e .

Mo st spiritual perc e ptio n s which are

de ve lo pe d in the pre sen t life an d whic h ,

w e tak e o ve r in to the n e x t b e ar it is , ,

true a g e rm o f truth go o dn e ss an d
, , ,

virtue within the mse lve s b ut e n v e lo pe d ,

in a large additio n o f un e sse n tial false

n e ss, e rro r, an d Tho se spirits
c o rruptio n .

whic h re main un ite d thro ugh suc h im

pulse s may so c o n tin ue o r the y may '

se arate , acc o rdin g as the y b o th agre e

p
52
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

The s
piritual wo rld in its co n su m
m tia on will the re fo re b e , n o t an asse m
b ly, b ut a tre e o f so uls, the ro o t o f whic h
is plan te d on e arth an d who se su mmit
che s to the he ave n s
re a .

O n ly the highe st an d n o b le st spirits ,

Christ the g e n iuse s the sain ts are ab le

, , ,

to re ac h o ut o f the ir full k n o wle dge

, ,

the c e n tre o f divi n ity fac e to f

ac e ; the

sm ll
a e r an d le sse r ones hav e the ir roo ts

in the se , bo ughs in b ran c he s an d

as

twigs in b o ughs an d are thus co n

,

n e cte d m idway in dire c tly thro ugh the m

with the highe st o f the high .

A n d so de ad ge n iuse s an d sain ts are

the true me diato rs b e tw e e n Go d an d
man ; partak in g o f the tho ught o f Go d
they are ab le to c o n v e y it to m an ,

an d at the sam e tim e fee lin g an d un

derstan din g human sorro ws j o ys an d , ,

54
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

de sire s, the y are a ble to le ad hi m to

Go d .

Yet the wo rship of the de ad stan ds

in re lati o n to the w o rship o f

de ifi e d
n ature , at the v ery b egin n in g o f re
ligio n , half re late d an d half se
p arate d ;
the mo st sa a v ge n atio n s have re tain e d

it in its crude r the , mo st civiliz e d in its

highe r fo rm A n d whe re to day is the re
.
-

o n e whic h do e s n o t re se rve a large

p
fragme n t o f it as its c o rn e r sto n e " -

A nd so the re ho uld b e in
s e v e ry to wn
a shrin e fo r its gre ate st de ad, b uilt
n e ar o r in the te mpl e of Go d ,
an d le t
Christ as he re to fo re dwe ll in the sa m e

te mpl e as Go d himse lf .

55
 CHA PTER V II

OR n ow we see thro ugh a glass,

darkly ; b ut the n fac e to fac e
n o w I k n o w in art ; b ut the n
p
shall I kn o w e v e n as also I mk n o wn
a .

1 Co r . x iii . 12 .

Man liv e s he re at o n ce an o ute r an d

an in n e r life , the first all v isi ble an d

audi ble in loo kwo rd writin g in o ut

, , ,

ward affairs an d wo rk s the last perc ep ,

tible to him se lf o n ly th ro ug h in te rio r

tho ughts an d fe e lin gs The c o n tin ua

.

tio n o f the visible in to the e x te rio r is

e asily fo llo we d ; the de v e lo pm en t of

the un se e n re m ain s itse lf in v isib le b ut ,

y e t go e s on . R ather the in n e r life of

man p ro gre sse s with his

, o uter life , as

56
 LIFE A FTER DEA TH

its nu c le us , to form the nu cle us of the

In fac t that w hic h go e s o ut visibly

,

an d e rc e tibl fro mm an durin g his life

p p y
tim e is n o t the o n ly th in g that e ma
n ate s fro m him Ho we ve r small an d
.

fin e the vib ratio n o r im u lse m a be b

p y y
which a c o n sc io us e mo tio n is c arrie d to
o ur mi n ds,
y e t the who le play o f co n

scio us e mo tio n s is b o rn e b y an in ward

me n tal actio n c an n o t die o ut with
, it
o ut ef
ro duc in gfe cts o f its kin d in us
p
an d at last b e o n d us ; o n l w c an n o t
y y e

fo llo w the min to life o utside A s little .

as can the lute k e e it la in g to itse lf

p s
p y ,

it is b o rn e o ut b e yo n d it, so little c an

o ur mi n ds ; to the lute or the min d

b e lo n gs o nl whic h is c lo se st to it
y that .

W hat an in fi n ite ly c o mple x play o f

sub tle wav e s havin g the ir o ri in in o ur
g
57
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

mi n ds m y sp e ad itself o v the g s
a r er ro s

lo we r r e alm f c tio
o arc e tib l to th
p e
p n, e e

o ut ward e
y e an d car, lik e the fin e ri
p
le s o n the larg e wave s of a o n d, o r
p p
the flat de sign s on the sur a ef c of a

c lo se ly wo ve n c arpe t which tak e s fro m

,

the mits w ho le b e auty an d highe r m e an

in g The physic ist ho we ve r re c o gn iz e s

.
, ,

an d fo llo w s o n l the actio n o f the lo w e r

y
e x te rio r o rde r an d do e s n o t c o n c e rn
,

himse lf w ith the fin e r whic h he do e s ,

n ot e rc e iv e B ut e v e n if he doe s n o t
p .

e rc e iv e it y e t k n o wi n g the prin c i le
p , p ,

do e s he dare de n y the
1
re sult "

1
W hetherone attri b utes nervo us energy t a o

che mical or an electrical process one must still ,

regard it if not simply as the play of the vi bra

,

tion of min utest atoms y et as in the main ex

,

cited accompa ied by this w here by the

or n ,

i mponderable has a larger part than the ponder

58
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

what w e have ab so rb e d
The re fo re ,

fr o m so uls thro ugh the in fl ue n c e s o f

the ir o utward pe rc e ptib le life in this
wo rld do e s n o t ye t c o mprise the ir who le
b e in g ; b ut in a w ay in c o mpre he n sible
,

to us, the re still re main s in the ir n ature ,

b e side s that p o ut ward art, a de e pe r ,

in de e d the c hie f part o f the ir e x iste n c e .

A n d if a m
an had s e n t an d e n de d his
p
life on a de se rt i slan d w itho ut e ve r hav
in g c o me in c o n tact w ithan o the r hu man
life , he wo uld have firmly i
re ta n e d

his inn e r x iste n c e

e , aw aitin g a future
de v e lo pme n t whic h , in this wo rld he
able Vi brations how e v er can onl y ap parently
.
, ,

expire by extending the mselves into their c mvi

ro nm t or if indeed they disappear for a time
en ,

through translation of their living strength into

so—called elasticity y et accordi g to the l w of
, ,
n a

the conservation of energy they await a revival ,

in some other form .

59
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

c o uld n ot fin d thro ugh in te rc o urse with

o the rs . If on the o ther han d a c hild
had liv e d b ut a m me
o n t, it c o uld n ot

die a
g ain in e te rn it y . The le ast im
pulse c on sc io us life surro un ds itse lf
of

with a c ircle o f in fl ue n c es j ust as the ,

brie fest to n e whic h in a mo me n t se e ms

,

to die thro ws o ut v ib ratio n s whic h

,

reac h o ut in to in fin ity be yo n d tho se ,

stan din g n e ar by an d liste n in g ; fo r n o

in fl ue n c e e xpires in itse lf an d e ac h pro ,

duc e s o the rs o f its kin d in to e te rn ity .

A n d so will the so ul o f the c hild go o n

de velo pin g fro m this c o n sc io us b egin
n in g lik e that o f the m an le ft in isola
tio n , y o the rwise than as if b eginn in g
o nl

fro man alre ady advan c e d de ve lopmen t .

No w j ust as man in de ath first t e

,

c e iv e s the full c o n sc io usn e ss o f what he

has produced spiritually in o thers so also ,

60
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

a b o ut within it as he may o r we arily ,

se e k in g the w ay to h is life s e n d an d
’

of te n fo rge ts his b e st tre asure s whic h , ,

aside fro mthe glo win g path o f tho ught ,

lie sunk e n in the dark n e ss which c o ve rs

the wide re gio n o f his so ul But in the.

mo me n t o f de ath in which an e te rn al
,

n ight dark e n s the e ye o f his b o dy li ht

g ,

will b e gin to dawn in his so ul The n .

will the c e n tre o f the in n e r man k in dle

in to a sun whic h ill umin ate s his who le
s
piritual n ature , an d at the sa m e me
ti

p e n e trate s it as with an in n er e ye , with

divin e cle arn e ss . A ll which w as he re
fo rgo tte n will he re c o ve r the re in de e d ,

he o n ly fo rgo t it he re b e c ause it w e n t
b e fo re him in to the o the r wo rld ; n o w
he fin ds it again c o lle cte d In that .

n e w un iv e rsal lum in o usn e ss he will n o

lo n ger b e o blige d to se ek o ut we arily
62
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

what he wo uld fain appro priate se parat ,

in g his o w n fro mwhat he must rej e ct ,

b ut at a glan c e he is ab le to un de r
stan d him se lf who lly an d at the sam e ,

tim e to perc e iv e the true re lation s b e

twe e n un ity an d dive rsity c o n n e c tio n ,

an d se paratio n , harmo n y an d disc o rd,

cc o rdin g to o n e lin e o ftho ught
n o t o n ly a

b ut e q ually acc o rdin g to all l

A s far as .

are the flight an d vi sio n o fthe b ird ab o v e

the slo w c rawlin g o f the b lin d w o rm

whic h pe rc e ive s n o thin g b e yo n d what
its sluggish b ody to uche s so gre atly ,

1
E venin this w orld at the approach of death
,

( by narcotics in i
,
m minent dro w ning or in l , e xa

t ti
a )onthere occ u r flashes of recognition of the
spirit ual meaning of things examples of which ,

are recorded in "end A vesta II I s 2 7 and-

. .
,

( cases of threatened dro w ni g) in F h n C ec ner s

’
en

t lb l tt fu N tu w i
ra a r a u d A nthro pologie 185 3
r ss
. n , ,

s 4 3 u 6 23
. . .

63
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

will the highe r kn o wle dge tran sc e n d

that of the pre sen t . A nd so in de ath,
with the b o dy o f man will also pass
aw ay his m in d his un derstan din g in
, ,

deed the who le fin ite dwe llin g plac e o f -

his so ul as fo rm
, s becom e to o n arro w

fo r its e xiste n ce , as arts

p w hic h are of

no furthe r use in an o rder o f thin gs in

whic h all kn o wle dge whic h they had
to se e k an d disc o v e r gradually lab o ri ,

o usl an d im e rfe c tly h n ow h as

y, p e ,

o e n ly re v e ale d o sse ssed an d e nj o y e d

p p , , .

The se lf o f man ho we v e r will sub sist

, ,

un im paire d in its full e xte n t an d de

v e lo m en t th ro ugh the de struc tio n o f

p
its tran sito ry fo rm s an d in the plac e o f
, ,

that e xtin ct lo we r sphe re o f ac tiv ity ,

will en te r in to a highe r life Stilled is .

all re stle ssn e ss o f tho ugh t whic h n o ,

lo n ger n e eds to se e k in o rder to fin d

64
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

itse lf, to ch an other to c o me

'

a ro a
or pp
m
in to c o n sc io us utual relatio n s . R ather
b egin s n o w a highe r in te rc han ge o f spir

itual life ; as in o ur o w n mi n ds tho ughts

in te rc han ge toge ther, b e twe e n ad
so

v an ce d so uls the re is a fe llo wship the ,

all e m
-
brac in g c e n tre o f whic h w e c all
Go d an d the "play o f o ur tho ughts is
,

b ut trib utary to this high c o mm un io n .

Spee c h will n o lo n ge r b e n e e de d the re

fo r mutual un de rstan din g, an d n o e
ye

fo r c o gn itio n o f o the rs b ut as tho ught

re ,

in us c o mpre he n ds an d re late s itse lf to

tho ught witho ut the m
, e dium o f e ar ,

m utho , or han d , un ite s

p or se arate s

witho ut e xte rio r re strain t o r pro hibitio n ,

so c o mfo rtin g , in timate , an d un tra m

melle d will mutual spi itu l r a c o mmun i
c atio n b e, an d n o thin g will re mi a n

hidde n in o ne fro m the o the r . A ll

65
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

sin ful tho ughts which here slin k a way

in to the dark plac e s o f the in d an d all m ,

m
whic h an wo uld b e glad to c o ve r up
fro m his kin d with a tho usan d han ds ,

be c o me k n o wn to all A n d o n ly the
.

soul w h i c h has b e en q uite pure an d

true here can witho ut sham e co me in to

the pre sen c e o f o thers in that w o rld ;

an d he w ho has bee n mi us n dersto o d
he re o n e art hwill the re fin d re co gn itio n .

A nd e ve n in its in dividual life will

the so ul thro ugh self in spection
-
b e co me
aware o f e v e ry de fi c ie n c y an d e v e ry

re mn an t le f, t b e hin d fro m this life o f ,

im pe rfe c tio n di sturb an c e an d disc o rd

, , ,

an d n o t o n ly will it re c o n ize the se

g
de fe cts b ut
,
fee l the m all in c o mmo n
, ,

with the same fo rc e as w e o ur bo dily

in firm iti es But as tho ughts can b e
.

cle an sed fro mall that is un wo rthy an d ,

66
 LIFE A FTER DEA TH

in moments of insight b e un ite d to still

e ve n so w ill so uls in the ir mutual in

te rco urse fin d the path of to ~
 CHA PTER V III

UR ING his life time man has

n ot o nl
y irituals b ut also
p
m ate rial re latio n s with n ature .

He at air wate r an d e arth pre ss upo n

, , ,

himfro mall side s an d go o ut fro mhim

,

b ack again c re atin g an d tran sfo rmin g

,

his b o dy ; b ut as the se e le me n ts whic h ,

o utside o f m y o perate side by side

an o n l ,

me e t an d min gle in him the y fo rm a ,

c o mb in atio n that o f man s b o dily se n sa

,
’

tio n an d at o n c e this b o dily se n satio n

,

c uts o ff man s in n er b e in g fro mthe se n

’

satio n s o fthe o ute r w o rld O n ly thro ugh

.

the w in do w s o f the se n se s is man able to

lo o k o ut fro mhis b odily frame an d re al

ize the o ute r wo rld an d as it we re in
, ,

68
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

imple me n ts, the li mite d use of whic h

he can dispe n se with x isten c e
in an e

in w hic h he will c arry an d pe rc e ive

within himself fully an d dire c tly all
which in the lo we r stage c ame to him
on l
y fi tf ully an d su e rfi c iall
p y th ro ug h
the ir dull me diatio n W hy sho uld w e
.

tak e o v e r in to the life to c o m e e e or

y
e ar to o b tain light an d soun d fro m th e

s rin g o f liv in g n ature w he n the cur

p ,

re n t o f o ur future life will me rge as

o n e with the w av e s o f light an d so un d .

E ve n mo re "
The human e ye is y a little radian t
onl

ot upo n the e arth an d o n ly ge ts the

s
p ,

impre ssio n in the fir mame nt o f

p o in ts

o f light . Man s lo n gi g
’
n to k n o w mo re

o f the un iv e rse is n ot he re gratifi ed .

He disc o ve rs the te le sc o pe an d mg a

nifie s with it the sur a e ,f c an d so the

70
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

c apac ity of his e

y e ; in v ain , the stars

still re mai
little po in ts
n .

No w he be lie ve s that he will attain

in the xt wo rld what this life c an n o t

ne

gran t the fin al satisfactio n o f his c urio s

,

ity that o n c e in he ave n he will im me

diate ly pe rc e ive all that has b e e n hidden
fro mhis e arthly e ye s .

He is right ; b ut he doe s n o t re ac h
a he ave n b e c ause he re c e ive s win gs to

fly fro mo n e plan e t to an o the r o r e v e n

in to an un se e n he av en o ve r the visible
one ; whe re in the n ature o f thin gs
He
’

c o uld win gs e x ist to that e n d 7

do e s n ot le arn to k n o w the who le un i

verse by be in g
, wly b o rn e fro m o n e
slo

p lan e t to an o the r in e v er re pe ated -

b irth ; n o sto rk is th e re to c arry c hil

dre n fro m one star to h

an o t e r — his

e ye doe s n ot gain the c apac ity fo r

7 1
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

the in fin ite e the re al depths by b e in g

md a e in to a gre at te le sc o pe ; the prin
ci
ple of e arthl
y ght will n o
si lo n ge r
sufli ce ;
y et he will attain to all, in
that, c o n sc io us part o f the o the r
as a

life in the gre at he av e n ly e x i sten c e that

ho lds him he wi n s a plac e in its highfe l
,

lo w ship with o the r divin e ly illumin ate d

b e in gs A n e w visio n I No t fo r us here
.

b e lo w b e c ause n o o n e o f us has re ac he d
,

that plan e . In the fir mame nt the e art h

itse lf s wims lik e a gre at e
y e who lly
i mme rse d in the p c an d
v ast star s a e s,

swin gin g aro un d the re in to re c e iv e fro m ,

all side s the im pac t o f w av e s w hic h

c ro ss e ac ho the r millio n s an d millio n s o f

tim e s an d y e t c ause no disturb an c e .

W ith this e ye will man so me time

le arn to disc e rn the he av e n s w hile the ,

fo rward surgin g o f his future life with ,

72
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

do e s he se e , in the tran sitio n , all at o n ce

cle arly lighte d up within itse lf, ye t still
he re main s primarily o n ly what he w as .

Ne ither do e s an y o n e thin k that the

glo ry of the o the r wo rld s hall re sult

h
o t er wise to the fo o lish the , idle , an d

the b ad, than to mak e

m fe el the the
disc o d o f the ir live s a d to e m
r
p
,ha n

siz e the n e c e ssity fo r e f m A lre ady

r or

in the pre se t life man b rin gs with him

n

an e ye to b eho ld the who le glo ry of

he av e n an d e arth, an e ar to he ar music
an d the s
pee ch o f man , an un de rstan d
in g to grasp the me an in g o f all this ;
what do e s it av ail to the fo o lish the ,

in do le n t , an d the b d
a "

A s the b e st an d the highe st in this

life so is also the b e st an d the highe st
in the o the r o n ly the re fo r the b e st

an d the highe st b e c ause alo n e by suc h

,

74
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

un de rsto o d wishe d fo r an d ac q uire d

, ,
'
.

The re fo re the highe r man o f the n e x t

,

wo rld alo n e can gain a c o mpre he n sio n

of the c o n sc io us in te rc o urse in the e xis
te n c e in to whic h he has passe d with
o the r divin e b e in gs e n te rin g with the m
,

himse lf in to this fe llo wship .

W ho k n o ws whe ther the who le e arth ,

re v o lvin in an e v e r slo wl n arro win g

g y
orb it will
, n ot re turn to the he art of

the sun fio mwhich it c me a , a fte r e o n s

of
y e ars, an d the n a sun life o f all
e art hlycre ature s will be gin an d whe re
is the n e e d o f o ur kn o w in g this n o w 7

75
 CHA PTER IX

PIR ITS of the third stage will

dwe ll, asc o mmo n b o dy in
in a ,

the e arthly n ature o fwhic hm an ,

k in d itse lf is a part an d all n atural pro

,

c e sse s will b e the same to the mas the y

are to us in o ur b odie s . The ir sub

stan c e will c o mpass the fo rms o f the

en

se c o n d sta e as a c o m
g m on m o the r j ust ,

as tho se o f the se c o n d sta e surro un de d

g
tho se of t e h first .

E ve ry so ul o f the third sta e g a

pp ro

ir ate s as its ow n share o f the un ive rsal

p
b o dy o nl
y what it in the e arthly re al m
has de ve lo pe d an d acc o mpli h d s W hat
e .

a m an has c han ge d in this wo rld by his

76
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

gre at future alre ady in this life in ter

,

se c t w itho ut disturb an c e e rro r o r c o n

, ,

fusio n R athe r a far highe r plan e o f

.

li fe an d gro wth is ac hie ve d thro ugh

the se v ib ratio n s an d me m o rie s re ac h

in g fro m this pre se n t li fe to the o n e

b e yo n d .

B ut what se parate s the c irc le s o f co n

scio usn e ss whic h c ro ss e ac h o ther "

No thin g se parate s the m in an y o f

tho se de tails in whic h the y c ro ss e ac h
o the r ; the y hav e all c harac te ristic s in

c o mmo n ; o n ly e ach stan ds in differe n t

re latio n s fro mthe o the r ; that se parate s

the min ge n e ral an d distin g uishe s the m

in the ir highe r in dividuality . A sk again
what distin g uishe s o r se parate s c ircle s
whic h in te rse ct ; n o thin g separate ly ;
et o u e asily o b se rv e an o utw ard dif
y y
fe re n c e yo urself in ge n eral ; still mo re
78
 LIFE A FTE R D E A TH

e asil y will c en tre s whic h are the mse lve s

se l
f c on sc io us
-

also distin guish an in n e r

diffe ren c e .

Pe rhaps yo u have so m time s

e re c e iv e d
fro m a distan t plac e a le tte r writte n
ac ro ss b o th wa s
y H o w d o
y
. o u de

c ipher b o th writin gs " O nl y by the

c o he re n c e which e ac h has in itse lf .

In like man n e r is c ro sse d the spiritual

han dwritin g with whic h the page o f the
wo rld is fille d ; an d e ac h is re ad b y it
se lf as if it o cc u ie d the who le s ac e
,
p p ,

an d the o the rs to o whic h o ve rlie

, ,

it. No t me re ly tw o , b ut in n u m bl e ra e

le tte rin gs mk
a e a n et wo rk o f re c o rd
on the e arth ; the lette r, ho we ve r is ,

b ut an in ade q uate s
y mb o l of the
wo rld .

Still ho w, can c o n sc io usn e ss c o n tin ue

to prese rv e its un ity in so large an e x

79
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

te n sio n g o f its ro un d, ho w withstan d the

law o f the thre sho ld o f c c
o n s io usn e ss "‘

A sk first , ho w it can pre se rv e its un ity

in the s malle r e xpan se of the body , of

whic h the large r on e is onl

y the c o n tin
n atio n . Is, the n , yo ur b o dy , is yo ur
1
This e mpirical law of the relation b tw een e

body and soul consists in the fact that conscio us

ness everyw here ceases if the b odily activity ,

upon w hich it depends sinks b elo w a certain de

gree of strength which is called the threshold
, .

No w in proportion as it extends itself more w idely ,

can it the more easily on account of the m ,

ac co

pan yi g w eakness fall b elo w this level A s the

n ,
.

total conscio usness has its threshold w hich makes ,

the dividing line b etw een sleeping and w aking in

the whole m so too is it w ith the details of
an , , ,

consciousness w hence it comes that d uring wak

,

ing no w this no w that idea presents itself or sinks

,

out of sight according as the partic ular activity

,

upon w hich it depends rises a bove or sinks b elo w

the special threshold ( Co mpare E lem der P y .
"
. s

ch phy ik
o s "ap X XXX V II I XXXI X and
, .
, , ,

XML)
80
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

wo uld it sin k he lple ssly in to an a byss ,

b ut in to a re al m which , , as the e te r

n al fo un datio n o f Go d at the same time ,

b e c o me s the fo un datio n o f yo ur life fo r ,

onl i n v irtue o f the divi n e life is the

y
1
c re ature ab le to live at all .

1
I n order not to permit an a p parent contra
diction f the a bove mentioned spec ulation to the
o -

psy chophy sical doctrine of the comb ined threshold -

( upon w hich the most enlighten i ng w ord is in

W un dt s
’
philos Stud IV 20 4 u
. note the
.
, , 3 . .

following I f the psy chophy sical life w ave ( to

: -

contin ue the u of this concise expres ion) of

se s

m made up of components of the most manifold

an ,

sort sho uld spread ut into a w orld w hich con

, o

tai
ne d onl y di fferent co mponents then indeed , , ,

must it be ass umed that it in its extension w o uld , ,

fall b elo w the comb ined threshold here under -

consideration Since how ever the p y h phy i

.
, ,
s c o s

cal und ulatory sea of th e universe among its other ,

components co mprehends also s uch as are like to

,

those of the h uman life wave and indeed of the -

most vary ing height or intensity therefore such as ,

already ri se abo v e or come near the level of the

82
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

So a wre n upo n the b ack o f an e a gle

c an e asil
y so ar a bo ve a mo un tai n -
to p,
fo r whic h task he himse lf
wo uld b e to o
we ak an d at last fro mthe b ack o f the
, ,

e agle fl still a b it highe r than the e agle

,y
has fl o wn w ith him But Go d is the .

gre at e agle as He is the little b ird .

Ho w c an ma n a fte r the de ath o f the

b ody do witho ut his brain , so marve l
lo usly c o n struc te d that c o n tain e d e ve ry
,

impulse o f his min d that c arrie d the ,

furthe r e vo lutio n o f tho se impulse s in to

still
gre ate r stren gthan d fuln e ss " W as

it fo rme d in vain "

A sk the plan t ho w it can do w itho ut

the see d whe n it b ursts fro mit to gro w
,

combined threshold and are only raised still

-

higher by the si milar ones which join the m so is ,

the result of the ab v e speculation placed on a

o

somewhat more solid basis ( Note to the third .

e dition )
.

83
 LIFE A FTER DEA TH

in to the light, that w o n de rful c re atio n

whic h thro ugh the impul sion o f its in
,

n e r ge rm b uilds itse lf still furthe r fro m

,

within W as it c re ate d fo r n o thin g

.
"

W he re in de e d can b e fo un d a struc
, ,

ture so w o n de rful as y o ur b rain to re ,

lac e it in the o the r w o rld an d whe re

p , ,

in de e d is the re
, one that sur
p asse s it ;

yet the future b rain will sure ly tran

c
s en d this pre se n t o n e .

B ut is y w ho le b o dy a fin e r
n ot o ur

an d m o re highly o rgan iz e d c re atio n

than e y e e ar b rain,
n o t b e y o n d e ac h
,

art " S o an d un spe ak ab ly m o re the

p , ,

w o rld o f whic h man k in d with its state

, ,

its k n o wle dge art an d traffic is b ut a

, ,

art e x c e e ds y o ur little b rain the part

p , ,

o f this part I f yo u w o uld ri se to a

.

highe r po in t o f V ie w o n ly se e in the ,

e arth n o t m
, e re ly a b all o f dry e arth air , ,

84
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

wo rld than in yo u w ho are b ut

, a
part
of it. A n d o n ly b e c ause y o u are a

art o f this w o rld se e in o urse lf also a

p y ,

art o f that whic h it see s in itse lf

p .

A n d fin ally do yo u pe rhaps still ask

,

w hy o ur ultim ate b o dy as w e c all it , ,

o n ly awak e n s in the o the r life af te r w e

hav e e x pe lle d it he re in this e arthly
re al m an d, w hy it is alre ad
y the co n

tin uatio n o f o ur li mite d b ody

That which in this n arro we r e xiste n c e
die s, is in de ed de stro ye d ; it is n o thin g
b ut an in stan c e o f the sa me un iv e rsal law
whic h pre vails thro ugh the who le o f
this wo rld ; a pro o f that it still co n
tin ue s in to the n e xt D o ubte r if y o u .
,

must always re aso n alo n e fro m this life

b e it so .

The livin g stren gth o f c o n sc io usn e ss

ne ve r re all y rise s an e w is n e v er lo st
, ,

86
 LIFE A F TER D E A TH

b ut, lik e that o f the b o dy upo n which it

re sts, can o nl c han ge its lac e its fo rm
y p , ,

its man n e r o f disse min ati on in ti me an d

spa e , o nly sin k
c to -
day o r he re , to mo un t

to -
m orro w o r e lse whe re ; onl
y rise to day
-

or he re , to sin k to -
mo rro w o r e lse whe re .
‘

Fo r the e
y e to b e aw ak e so that
y ou

se e c o n sc io usly, the e ar must b e hushe d

to sle e to aro use the in n e r wo rld of
p ;

1
I ndisp utabl y
this la w a alogous to the , n so

called law of the conservation of energy in the

phy sical real m i in some w ay connected w ith
, s

it thro ugh the fundamental relation of spirit to

body without the connection b eing clearly estab
,

li h d or sho wn to b e deriva b le p y h phy i lly

s e , s c O s ca

fromthe phy sical law since the essence of psy cho

,

phy sical energy itself is not clearly de fined The .

law must therefore b e inferred fromfacts such as

are above mentioned ; and w ithout b eing exactly ,

an d fully pro v ed it ac q uires there by a prob ab ility

,

w hich q uali fies it to se v e as a basis for such vi e ws

r

as are here in q uestion .

87
 LIFE A F TER DEA TH

tho ught, the o ut ward se n se s must be

su b due d in to q uie sc e n c e ; a pain in the
sm alle st s o t can
p q u ite e x haust y o ur

so ul s
’
c o n sc io usn e ss The mo re the
.

light o f o b se rvatio n is dispe rsed the ,

mo re fe e bly is an y sin gle part ill umi

m ate d ; the m o re cle arl
y it strik e s o n e

p o in t, the m o re all e lse e n te rs in to dark

n e ss ; to re fle ct upon so me on e thin g

me an s ab st acti fro mall b e side s Fo r

r on .

yo ur pre se n t fre shn e ss yo u have to

than k yo ur sle e p sin c e ye ste rday the ,

mo dee ply y o u sle e p to day the mo re

re -

brightly yo u will awak e to mo rro w an d -

the mo vigilan tly yo u hav e passe d the

re

wakin g ho urs the mo re pro fo un dly yo u

will sle e p .

But the sle e p o f man in this wo rld is

in re ality o n ly a half sle e p w hic h allo w s
,

the bo dy to wak e again b e c ause it is

88
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

c o n tin uation ctio n s of himw ho

-
of the a

bo re the e arlie r c o n sc io usn e ss This .

is the re fo re a law whic h o rdain s the ,

o n ward m arc h o f the life here fro mto

day to to mo rro w an d fro mthis life to

-

the h
o t er . A nd can the re b e h
an o t er

law sofun dame n tal as this o f the e te r

n al surviv al o f man "

A nd so do n o t ask , ho w it is that
ef
fe cts which yo u pro duc e in this o ut
ward wo rld whic h are o utside yo u shall
, ,

still b elo n g to yo u mo re than an y

o th e rs wh ic h are also o utside It is b e .

c ause the fo rme r much mo re than the

latte r have go n e o ut fro myo u E ve ry .

c ause re tai n s its e ffe cts as an e te rn al

o sse ssio n B u t in truth o ur e f
f e c ts
p .
y
have n e ve r go n e o ut fro m y o u ; e ve n
in this wo rld the y fo rm e d the un co n

sc io us c o n tin uatio n o f y o ur e x iste n c e ,

90
 LIFE A FTER DEA TH

o nl
y awaitin g the a wak e n in g to n ew

c o n sc io usn e ss .

A s little as a man
ve r die w ho c an e

has o n ce live d so little c o uld he b e

,

awak e n e d to li fe had he n o t li ve d b e

fo re ; it is o n ly that he had n o t live d

as an in dividual The c o n sc io usn e ss
.

with which the c hild awak e s at birth

is on ly a
p art o f the e te rn al, re e x ist
p
-

in g, un ive rsal , divin e c on sc io usn e ss whi ch

has c o n c e n trate d itse lf in the n e w so ul .

W e can in de e d as little fo llo w the ways

an d the c han ge s o f th e li vin g fo rc e o f

c o n sc io usn e ss as tho se o f the v ital

e n e rgy o f the b ody .

But are yo u afraid that hum an co n

scio usn e ss b e c ause b o rn o ut o f the

,

un ive rsal will again flo w b ack in to it ;

,

the n lo ok at the tree . Man y y e ars

passe d b e fore the bran c he s c ame o ut o f

9 1
 LIFE A FTER DEA TH

the trun k ; b ut c e the re the y do n o t

on

go do wn in to it again H o w w.o uld

the tre e gro w an d de v e lo p if this hap

pened " So to o will the life tre e of the

wo rld gro w an d un fo ld itse lf .

A fte r all, the stro n g gume n t in

ar

this w o rld fo r the o the r i s n o t fro m

re aso n s un k n o wn to us n o r fro m su
, p
o sitio n s whi c h w e m ak e b ut it is fro m
p ,

fac ts that w e do k n o w that w e b ase

o ur c o n c lusio n s o n the gre ate r an d
highe r fac ts o f the future li fe the re by ,

stre n gthe n in g an d c o n firm in g a faith ,

rac tic all d em an ded de e n din u

p y , p g p on

a highe r o in t o f v ie w an d to b e se t in
p
liv in g re latio n s with li fe I n de e d if
.
,

w e did n o t n e e d this faith w he re fo re ,

stre n
gthe n it ;
y e t ho w use it, if it re

main un suppo rte d .

 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

W e have j ust se en it wan de rin g

b ack an d fo rth within the n arro w b o dy ,

lightin g up in turn the e ye the e ar the , ,

in n e r an d the o ute r se n se s fin ally in , ,

de ath to de part fro m it who lly j ust as

, ,

o n e who se little ho use in whic h he has

,

fo r lo n g mo v e d abo ut b ack an d fo rth

is de stro ye d go e s o ut in to the o pe n an d
,

b egins a n e w pilgrimage D e athmak e s .

n o di vi sio n b e twe e n the tw o liv es e xc e t

p
to allo w the e x c han ge o f the n arro w e r
sc e n e o f ac tio n fo r the wider A n d as .

little as the light o f c o n sc io usn e ss is

alway s an d e v e rywhe re the sam e in this

li fe whe re it can b e so in te rrupte d an d

,

disperse d so will it b e in the future life

, .

b ody and in sleep sinks q uite b elo w the thresh

,

old a bove which

,
w aking it rises again
,
on ,
.

( Co mp are on thi s p oint E le mente der P

.sy
"

chOphysik ,
”
II "ap
. . 4 0 un d

94
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

It is onl
y that the fie ld of a c tio n is un

p
s e ak a bly large r the po ssib le e xte n sio n
,

wide r , the w ays fre e r the po in ts o f vie w

,

highe r , e mb ra c in g all the lo we r ones of

this wo rld .

But e ve n in this life xc eptio n ally in

e ,

rare c ase s , w e se e the light o f c o n sc io us

n e ss wan de r o ut o f the n arro we r b o dy
in to the wide r an d re turn again brin g ,

in g n e ws o f what happe n s in di stan t

spac e s in distan t tim
, e Fo r the le n gth .

o f the future de e n ds o n th b re adth o f

p e

the pre sen t Sudde n ly a rift sho ws it

.

se lf in the o th erw ise fo re v e r c lo se d do o r

b e twe e n this life an d the o the r to clo se ,

ag ain
q ui c kly t he doo r w h ic h w ill ,

who lly o pen in de ath an d o nly then ,

will o pe n n e ve r mo re to b e c lo se d But .

am e re glan c e th ro ughthe rif t in adv an c e

is n o t pro fitab le Ye t the e x c e ptio n to
.

95
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

the law of this life is onl x am le

an
y p e

h gre ate r law

of t e o f life whic h e mbrac e s
at o n c e the tw o wo rlds .

It may happe n that the e art hly b o dy

fall s p asle e
in one di re c tio n de e ply
e n o ugh to allo w it in o the rs to a wak e n
far be yo n d its usual limits , an d
y et n ot

so de e ply an d c o mple te ly wak e n

as to a

no m o re . O r, to the subj e ctiv e v isio n

the re c o me s a flash so un usually vivid
as to b rin g to the e art hly se n se an

imp e s io n isi g abo ve

r s r n the thre sho ld
f m an the rwise i acc
ro o n e ssi ble distan c e .

He re b e gin the wo n de rs o f clairv o y an c e ,

of
p re se n ti me n ts , an d
p re mo ni tio n s in
dre a ms fable spure , if the future
b o dy
an d the re li fe are fab le s o the rwi se
f utu
sign s o f the o n e an d re dic tio n s o f the
p
o the r ; b ut w hat has sign s e x ists an d ,

what has pro phe cie s will c o me .

96
y ou b ut in to yo u
e n te rs The e arlier .

fo rm is still its spiritual raime n t ; o n ly,

no fe ttere d with its fo rmer de n se
lo n ge r
b o dy an d wan de rin g in ac tive in its co m
an y b ut tran s are n t ligh t div sted o f
p , p e , ,

its e arthl
y b urde n , fo r the mo me n t it is
n ow he re , n ow the re , fo llo win g the v oi e
c
ofea ch o n e w ho c alls to the de ad, or of

itse lfpp a e arin g to y o u, to su

gg e st the
tho ught o f the de ad . I n de e d the co m
m on c o n c e ptio n o f the appe aran c e o f
so uls in the future li fe has always b e e n

o f light im mate rial fo rms in de pe n de n t

, ,

o f the lim its o f spac e an d so tho ugh , ,

un in te n tio n ally , the truth has be e n

re a c he d .

Yo u have also he ard gho sts s oken

p
of . D o c to rs c all the mphan tasms hal ,

lucin atio n s . So the y are fo r the liv

in g , y e t, at the sa me ti m e, the y are

98
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

a ctual a
pp aritio n s of the de ad, as we

c all the m . Fo r tho ugh the y b e the

we ak e r fo rms of me m o ry in us, ho w
sho uld the y n ot also be the mo re

ro n o un c e d c o rre spo n din g a aritio n s

p pp .

The re fo re , w hy still dispute whe the r

the y are the o n e or the o the r w he n the y

are at o n c e bo th . A n d w hy b e afraid
of gho sts when , y o u do n o t fe ar the

re mem be re d fo rms within ou which

y
the y alre ad
y are .

An d ye t the re aso n fo r this is n o t

wan tin g Un lik e the fo r s yo u have
. m
yo urself summo n e d o r whi c h o f the m
se lve s ste al ge n tl and ac fu ll i t
y p e e
y n o

the fab ri c o f yo ur inn e r life m in glin g ,

he lpfully with it the y advan c e an d , ,

surprise o u with o v e r o we rin g fo rc e

y ,
p ,

a are n tl c om in g b e fo re u lly
pp y y o re a ,

e n te rin g in to o u an d brin gin g in to y o ur

y
99
 LIFE A FTER DEA TH

mi nd far mo re dis may than c o mfo rt .

To live at o n c e in the tw o wo rlds mak e s

a mo b id e xiste n c e
r . The de ad an d the
livin g sho uld n o t c o mmun ic ate . To ap
chthe de ad so n e arl as to se e the m
p ro a
y
as cle arly an d o bj e ctively as the y are ab le
to se e e ach o the r me an s fo r the liv in g
alre ad a artial de ath he n c e the te rro r
y p
o f the liv in g b e fo re suc h a aritio n s o f
pp
the de ad it is also a partial b ack slidin g
o f the de ad away fro mthe re almb e o n d
y
de ath in to that this side o f it ; fro mthis
c o me s the sayin g an d pe rhaps mo re
than sayin g — that o n ly tho se spirits
wan der ab o ut whic h are n o t q uite re
le ase d w hic h still b y he avy fe tte rs are
,

e arth bo un d -
To driv e away the un
.

ble st c all fo r the he lp o f a b e tte r an d

,

stro n ge r spirit ; b ut the b e st an d th e

stro n ge st is the Spirit o f all spirits .

roo
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

have b ut a we ak e cho , a di m o utlin e

drawin g , be c ause the y pe r ade v ea ch

h
o t er with the ir full an d c o mple te b e
in g, o n ly a little
p art o f wh ic h re ac he s
ea ch of us thro ugh mm e y
or of the m.

O n ly the re as we ll as he re atte n tio n

n e e ds to b e fo c usse d upo n the ap e ar

p
an c e in o rde r to b eho ld it .

No w , it may still b e ask ed : ho w is it

o ssi b le that th e y so un ite an d a
pp e ar
p
so o bj e c tiv ely an d de fin ite ly to e ac h

o the r " B ut ask first ho w is it po ssible

,

that what is re c e ive d by yo u as the sem

blan c e o f a livin g pe rso n an d what is ,

c on v eye d to yo ur brain by the me mo ry

of a de ad one an d there is n ot hin g
e lse be fo re u to b ase it upo n — a e ars
y o pp
in the one c ase as an o bj e ctiv e pe c
r e
p
tio n , b ut in the h c irc umscribe d
o t e r as a
"

mme or y " The n o lo nge r e xact im p re s

10 2
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

sio n which un de rlies the me n tal pictu e r

de lude s yo u as to the o utlin e of the

fo rm fro m which it pro c e e de d in the
b e gin n in g Yo u c an n o t k n o w w hy
.

fro m the plan e o f this wo rld ; ho w can

o u e x e c t to k n o w fi o m that o f the
y p
o the r "

An d so I re
pe at : do n ot c on clude
fro m argume n ts of this wo rld whic h
y ou do n ot k n o w, norfro msuppo sitio n s
whic h yo u mk e
a , b ut fro m facts c le ar
to y ou he re as to the gre ate r an d

highe r facts o f the life to c o me A n y .

sin le c o n c lusio n m b u v
g a
y e e rro n e o s e e n

that o n e whi ch w e have j ust re ac he d ;

the re fo re do n o t b e satisfi e d with an
,
y
iso lated proo f : the fin al c o n victio n in
re gard to the m wh ich w e hav e to de
,

man d be fo re an d b eyo n d e very con clu

sio n , will b e the b e st su
pp ort o f o ur

10 3
 LIFE A FTER DEA TH

faith be lo w , an d o ur b e st guide on the

upw ard path .

But o n c e lay ho ld upo n faith dire c tly

fro m ab o v e , an d the who le
path o f b e ~

lie fwhich w ill le ad us upwards Ope n s

y b e fo re
e asil us he re .

10 4
 LIFE A FTER D E A TH

an d in the un io n of bo th the who le , of

which he is b ut a part .

P e rc eptio n in yo u disso lve s , an d mm e

or
y as e n ds
c fro m it w ithin yo u ; yo ur
who le life of in tuitio n disso lve s in God ,

an d a highe r e x iste n c e o f re c o lle ctio n

ri se s fro m it to Go d ; an d lik e me m
o ries in yo ur m
in d, so the spiri ts o f .

the o the r w o rld c o m un ic ate within in m

the div in e min d . It is o nl
y pon e ste

ab o ve h
an o t e r o n the sa me ladde r whic h
le ads , n ot to Go d b ut upwards within
,

Him , w ho Himse lf is at o n c e
in the
b as e an d the summit W ith that . say

in g vo id of tho ught, ho w e mpty Go d

w as ; in its full si gn ifi can c e , ho w ri ch
He is
D o y o u the n kn o w ho w the furthe r
, ,

s iritual life o f pe rc e ptio n is po ssible

"
p
Yo u k n o w o nl y that it is re al ; b ut it is
10 6
 LIFE A FTER DEA TH

o nly
p b l e to a so ul
o ssi Y o u can th e re
.

fore altho ugh ign o ran t ho w it is po ssi

,

b le e asily b e lie v e in the re ality o f a

,

future fo r yo ur who le so ul within a

hgi he r o n e ; y o u m u st o n ly b e li e v e th at
there is a highe r so ul an d that
y o u ,

are it .

A n d ag ain ho w e asy it wo uld all b e

,

fo r faith if m
an c o uld hab itually se e a
,

truth in furthe r word that God

that ,

li ve s an d mo v e s an d has His b e in
g in all .

The n it we re n o t a de ad b ut thro ugh , ,

God a li vin g world o ut o f which man

, ,

is b uilding his future b ody an d is the re b y

cre atin g a n e w abo de within the dwell
in g plac e o f God .

But when will this Vitalizin g faith

b e c o me a livin g o n e "

He w ho mak e s it liv in g will himself

he made alive .

10
7
 CHA PTER X II

OU ask as to the whe the r . I

an swer with the ho w . Faith
do e s witho ut the q ue stion

whe the r ; b ut if ask e d the o n e an swe r

,

is thro ugh the ho w ; an d so lon g as the

ho w doe s n o t stan d fast the whe the r ,

will n o t c e ase fro mtro ub lin g .

He re stan ds the tre e man y a sin gle

le af my a fall fro mit ; y et its ro o t an d

its un ity are fir m an d

pe r ef ct . It will
al ways de ve lo p n e w b ran c he s an d n e w ,

le ave s will c o n tin ue to fall ; the tre e

itse lf will n o t fall it will put fo rth
blo sso ms o f be auty an d in ste ad o f b e in g
,

ro o te d in faith it will b e ar the fruits o f

,

faith .

10 8
”
(li b s E arls heauti ful
BY L I LI AN W H I T I NG

The w or ld b
t whi h h w it i
e auti fu l a oub c s e r es s
nof f ar ont t whi h ll th i g m but
-
eve o c a n s ove ,
th d
e e ve r
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sce e a ro s e a s
’

r
wh i h l t
c d t f m it
e e va es
qfi an ra ns o r s . r

L ui J Bl k i Th Phl ph i l J u l
o s . oc ,
n e i oso ca o rna .

T
ithe erit Beaum tiful f irst fi r s . m
C mp isi g ; TH E WOR LD B EAU TI FU L ; FR IE ND
o r n

sn rr ; OUR S O I A L S A L A TI ON ; LO TU S EA TIN G ;
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TH UN S EEN WOR LD

m
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Gib: Mai ls Btautiiui . tibia: fi r s

Co mprisin WOR LD B EAU TI FU L ; TH R
THE E o ss:
or D w ; H E N I R LI NG S IR IT WOR LD ; TH
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R N I G or Y .

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a r
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pe r v o .

I kn v lum f m n ub li h d in
ow of n o o es o se r o s s e rece nt y ears
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d b t in h n tu
w c are so w e e to e e r, an s re a a s
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At books o res; t or sen tp

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LI TTLE, B RO WN , CO M PA NY, Bosro x

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race d t u pp ing
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humn h — Th I
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a eart d e ndep en en t.

Th p m p v l h inm n tu f ll f
ti n l nging pp i ti n th b li f in h n m f h
e oe d s ex ress an re ea er ost a re , u o afl ec
o o s, a re c a o of o e rs, e e t e ea e ss o t e
o th ,
ld Sh m m h v g in d high tl k
e r w or e see s to e to a e a e a er o u oo
th n m t f u in pi itu l ll in i t ll ml y
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a os o s a s r a as w e as an n e ect a wa
"A
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Bu
TE nio ns .

Full f f ith in h divin

o a d p pti n f th n t e e care an a e rce o o e ear
n f h pi it ld— I m fl v d f i nd hi p
d n bl N C
e ss o t e s r w or ts s o o e an r e s are
m t t nd hM ng
.

os e er an o e ew urc esse er .

Th i in th m ym p th ti hum n t u h in i ght b n
fl v
e re s e a s a e c a o c an s or
ill m h q ui t p n i t ,

mn y — Th Ch
o d
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a da rea e r s e y e uq u
’
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p f ti n f f m d p ti b uty in ll h
.

Th
nn t t k up h b k d tu n
e re is a e r ec o o or an oe c ea a er
v p i th
t u h d by
d
e rses , an on e c a o g a e t e oo an r to an y a e w
o ut b e il l v—t ng n p ing t t m nt th t the an d i
hp f h uth B n H m J
o c e e e a i s ir s a e e s a

g uid d te e en o t l e a or osto o e owrn a

nything
. .

nv th b f hi h l k d mu h
i f u b ught f mh v n by ng l h nd thi
I e e r saw a on e ar e o re w c oo e so c as
diti n
mD ml nd S nt
st ro ro ea e a e a s as s n ew e o of
n h g ld n un hin t li n ”

m ning h v h d h lv t ump t bl
ro re a a e I t e o e s s e o f an I a a
Thi ui it
.

b k mind m f th m SA AH H AN A u
I t e si e s ow s e xq
or a e e ar er r . s e
oo re s e o e R OLL D DA s

diti n f F mD ml nd S nt Juli W d
. .

" ”
Of h t e ne w ro rea a e a ar
i t mt h
e o o
H ow e
y I
sa s :t nd d d v"
u t p i
ts e ll th er an e o s r a c es
,
we e
E t l l th t d n it
as e r i i es a a or .
”

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BY V I C A R B O NN E L TOR CH

T l t d fr m th Fr h b y EMI L
rans a e o e e nc Y
WH ITNE Y With i tr du ti b y an n o c on
LI L IA N W
.

NG uth r f Th R ITI a o o e
W rl d B auti ful A Study f Eli a ,
”
o e , o z
b th B arr tt B r w
”
e g t e o n i n , e c .

l Cl t h tra o . o , ex ,

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O riti m might b
w o p
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h e ex re sse t e re e x or
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tati on
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o us to re fl ec o so e s es o for a er fe , and all e

ith m p i — impl ty
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ea b k tht u l lii
t eo ri es, n o ne r oo on e t a e
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wr e so . oo n r a e a tern
N nly i th t iking igin l ty f h ht th ugh ut
.
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tyl hi h l ing mp tiv ly tl in h d

ot o s e re a s r or ai o t o ro o
th b k b ut
t n l ti n by Mi —W
e oo a s e w c os co ara e t e t e a
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h h high F n h ,

f lu dity "C m
ra s a o ss hi tn e re ac es t e re c
od Nci m i l Ad u
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B k f ful pp l f living h lif f in

o n a as a orce ul
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d th d v i f n p k n li by i inn ’
an e e e o en t o o e s o wn erso a ts o wn er
p Hi l m g b d u th
dmi bly l t
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f hi g
roo ts o hi tyi i
t n s ; s s d ig u e s a ra c ear, erse , an v oro a
Dt F P
e r oi t ree ress

Th v lum t k l ti n f i h indiividl ub ult i ul t

. .

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mi ay th t t l
m k d by hi h
th u i
e dt
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tu l pi ti n Th b h pui ook
lit tu
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g
.

andb u ea di ll i
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S m f th n bl t th ught nt in d in thi b kE fin d
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