Speaker 1: The riddle of the Sphinx. It is with no light
emotion or jaunty air that the writer approaches this part
of his subject. On the contrary, he feels something like
awe when he contemplates the nature of that great something
which he is called upon to attempt to explain in
a few pages. He feels, in only a lighter degree
the emotion that one experiences when, in occasional moments his
mind leads to a contemplation of the infinite. He feels
that which men mean when they say gravitation and the
ether are but symbols and feeble concepts of something so
far above human experience that the mind of man may
grasp only its lowest shadings, the greater and higher part
of it, like the higher rays of the spectrum, being
hidden from the experience of man. In his endeavor to
pass on to you his ideas regarding the something that
explains both gravitation and the ether, he must ask you
to endeavor to form a mental picture of a something.
This something must fill all space within the limits of
the universe or cosmos, if limits it has. It must
be an expression of the first of the attributes of
the infinite, the one called omnipresence, or presence everywhere, and
yet it must not be the infinite presence. It also
must be an expression of the second of the attributes
of the infinite, the one called omnipotence or all power,
and yet it must not be the infinite power. It
also must be an expression of the third attribute of
the infinite. It's the one called omniscience, or knowing, and
yet it must not be the infinite wisdom. It must
be an expression of all the attributes that we think
of as belonging to the infinite, and yet through them
all we may see the infinite itself in the backgrounds
viewing its expressions. The something that you are asked to
think of is that something regarding which the mystics have dreamed,
the philosophers have speculated, the scientists have sneered and smiled,
That something that men have thought of as the universal
mind or the cosmic mind. You are asked to think
of this something as a great ocean of pure mind,
permeating all space between solar systems, between worlds, between masses
of substance, between the molecules, atoms, and corpsicles, in and
about and around everything, Yes, even in everything in the
very essence of the corpsicle. It is in truth, it
is that essence. It's bound up in the bosom of
that mighty ocean of mind must reside or knowledge of
the universe of all this side of God. For that
all knowledge is but a knowing of its own region.
Latent within itself must be locked up or energy or
capacity for force or motion. For all force or energy
is mental. In its presence, it exemplifies the capacity of
filling all space, omnipresent, omnipotent. On this science, all the
attributes of the infinite are manifested in it. And yet
it is but the outward expression of that behind the veil,
which is the causer's cause of all. In that great
ocean of universal or cosmic mind, bodies of substance are
but as floating specs of dust or even bubbles, formed
of the substance of that ocean itself. On the surface
of that ocean, there may arise waves, currents, ripples, eddies, whirlpools, storms, hurricanes, tempests.
From its bosom may rise vapor that after stage of clouds,
rain drops, flowing in streams, rivers, bays at last again
reach the source of its origin. These substances are changes
we call energy force motion, but they are but surface manifestations,
and the great ocean is serene in its steps, and
in reality, is unchanged and undisturbed. This, friends, is that
which the writer asks you to accept in the place
of Aristotle's ether. Is it a worthy exchange? We have
seen that the attraction of gravitation was different from any
other so called form of force and energy, both in
its operations and laws, as well as in its constancy
and self support, and that it was different from the
other forms of attraction such as cohesion, chemical affinity, etc.
And so we must consider it as more than a
mere emotional excitement in the mind of the particle that
bubble on the surface of the ocean. And it must
be different from the special forms of attraction manifested by
the atom and molecule. It must be a simpler, more basic,
and yet a more constant and a permanent thing. It
must exist before and after excitement, vibration, cohesion, and chemical affinity.
It must be the mother of the forces. Let us
imagine the cosmic mind as a great body of something
filling space, instead of as the surface of the ocean
which vigor We used just now. Either figure is equally correct.
This great cosmic mind is to be thought of as
a filling space and containing within its volume, oh for
a better word, countless worlds and suns, as well as
smaller bodies of substance. This suns and world and bodies
are apparently free and unconnected floating in this great volume
of mind. But they are not free and unconnected. They
are linked together by a web of lines of gravitation.
Each body of substance has a line reaching out in
a continuous direction and connecting it with another body. Each
body has one of such lines connecting it with each
particular other body. Consequently, each body has countless lines reaching
out from it, some slender and some thick, the thickness
depending upon the ratio of distances maintained by and relative
sizes of the particular bodies that it connects. The system
of lines form a great network of connections in the
volume of mind, crossing each other at countless points, but
not interfering with each other. And although the number may
be said to be countless, still these lines do not
begin to cover the entire dimensions of space or of
the mind that fills it. There are great areas of
space entirely untouched by these lines. If one could see
the system of lines, it probably would appear as a
shared off section of a great spider's web, with lines
in all directions, but with plenty of room between the lines.
Perhaps these lines converge to a common center, and that
center may be. But this is transcendental dreaming. Let us
proceed with our consideration of the use of the Dame.
It is to be understood, of course, that these lines
are not material lines, not made of substance, but rather
conditions in the cosmic mind, not thought waves arising from
the excitement of particles, but something more basic, simpler, and
more permanent. Let us look closer, and we shall see.
The great lines of gravitation radiating from and connecting world
with world, Sun with planet are really cables composed of
much smaller lines, the finest strands of which are seen
to emanate from each corpsical or particle of substance. The
line of gravitation reaching from the Earth to the Sun
being composed of a mass of tiny strands which connect
each particle of one body with each particle of the other.
The last analysis shows us that each particle is connected
with every other particle in the universe by a line
of attraction. These lines of attraction are what we call
gravitation purely mental in nature lines of mind principle in
the Great Volume of Mind. These lines of gravitation must
have existed from the creation of the particle, and the
connection between particle and particles must have existed from the
beginning beginning there was. The particles may have changed their
positions and relations in the universe, but the lines have
never been broken. Whether the particle existed as a free corpsicle,
whether combined as atom or molecule, whether part of this
world or sun or planet, or that one countless millions
of miles removed, it mattered not. The line of gravitation
always was there between that particle and every other particle.
Distance extended and thinned the line, or the reverse, as
the case might be, but it was there always. Obstacles
proved no hindrance to passage, for the lines passed through
the obstacle. Can it not be seen that here is
the secret of the fact that no time is required
for the passage of gravitation, It apparently traveling instantaneously, whereas
in fact it does not travel at all, and does
not seem that this theory also explains why no medium
is required for the travel of gravitation, and does it
not explain why gravitation is not affected in its passage
by intervening bodies. Gravitation does not travel or pass It
remains constant and ever present between the articles, varying in
degree as the distance between the particles is increased and
vice versa, and increasing and decreasing in effect according to
the number of particles combining their lines of attraction, as
in the case of atom molecule mass world gravitation is
a mental connection or bond united the mind in the
several particles, rather than their substance or material. Along these
lines of gravitation past the thought waves resulting from the
excitement of the particles. These fleeting, changing in constant waves
of emotion, how different they are from the changeless, constant
exhibition of gravitation. And among these same lines, when shortened
by close contact travel the impulses of cohesion and chemical affinity,
Gravitation not only performs its own work, but also acts
as a common carrier for the waves of desire, fors
and the thought waves of excitement. The particles manifesting as
attractive energy and radiant energy, respectively. The writer asks you
to remember particularly that while the desire waves of the
particles and their thought waves of excitement are changeable, disconnected,
and inconstant, the line of gravitation is never broken, and
could not be unless the particle of substance was swept
out of existence, in which case the balance of the
universe would be overturned and chaos would result. The divine
plan is perfect to the finest detail. Every particle is needed,
is known, is counted, and used in the plan, and
gravitation is the plainest evidence of the reality of the
infinite that has afforded us. In it, we see the
actual machinery of the infinite. No wonder that great thinkers
are bad their heads reverently before its power and awfulness.
When the minds have finally grasped its import verily, the
sparrow's fall is noted and known, as the Biblical writer
has recorded, For the fall is in obedience to that
great law that holds the particles in their places, that
makes possible the world of worlds and the existence of
solar systems, that indeed makes possible the forms of life.
As we know them. That's something that forever and ever
has and will silently, ceaselessly and tiringly and without emotion
fulfilled its work and destiny gravitation. The theory of dynamic
thought also holds that, in addition to the existence of
the cosmic mind or ocean of the mind principle and
the lines of attraction that run through it, each particle
has its mental atmosphere or aura. The area is an
atmosphere of mind that surrounds the particle and also the
larger bodies and also living forms higher in the scale.
This aura is merely an extension of the bit of
mind that is segregated or apparently separated from the cosmic mind,
for use by the individual particle, mass or creature. Through
and by means of this aura, the particle takes cognizance
of the approach and nature of the other particles in
its vicinity. The same rule holds good in the case
of the creatures, including man, as we shall see in
a later chapter. The fact is mentioned here merely in
order to connect the several manifestation of mental phenomena mentioned
in the several parts of this book. So may object
to the theory of the lines of gravitation, being in
the only carriers of the energy of the Sun, has
been contrary to the conception of science that the Sun
radiates energy in all directions equally, just as does a
piece of hot iron or a lamp. Answer this objection,
the writer would say that there is a decided difference
in the two cases. The iron or lamp radiates its
heat and light to the particles of the surrounding air
and other substance in close distance, the lines being very
close together, so close in fact, that they seem to
be continuous in having no space between them, at least
no space sufficiently large to be detected by the eye
of man or his instruments. But with the Sun the
case is different, for the distances are greater, and the
lines spread apart as a distance is increased. Draw a
diagram of many fine x rays emanating from a self
central point, and you'll have the idea at once. If
space were filled with substance, just as is the atmosphere
of the Earth, the air is meant, of course, then
indeed would the lines practically be joined together. But as
space between the world's is almost devoid of substance, the
lines between the Sun and the other worlds and planets
spread out rapidly as a distance from the Sun increases.
To show how this objection is really an additional proof
of the theory, the writer begs to call your attention
to the fact that, according to the calculations of the
physicists in science, the Sun's energy would have been exhausted
in twenty million years, guarranting that it was dispersed equally
in all directions during that time. But note this science
and its other branches, namely in geology, etc. Holds that
the Sun already has been throwing out energy for five
hundred million years or more five hundred million or more years,
and seems able to stand the strain for many millions
of years more. The science is arrayed against science. Does
not this theory harmonize the two by showing that the
Sun does not emanate energy in all directions equally and
at all times, but on the contrary, he radiates energy
only along the lines of gravitation and in proportion to
the relative distances and sizes of the bodies to whom
such energy is radiated. The writer needs scarcely state that
in the short space at his disposal in the pages
of this book, he has been able merely to outline
his theory of dynamic force as applied to the inorganic world.
The patience of the average one has limits. We must
pass on to other features of the workings of the theory,
namely the mental life of man, in which the name
laws are manifested. But it feels that those interested in
the phases of the subject touched upon may explain for
themselves the missing details by reference to the teachings of
modern science on the subjects of physics, remembering always to
substitute the theory of dynamic thought for the ether theory
that modern science borrows from Aristotle as a temporary makeshift.
The writer believes that this theory will account for many
of the missing links in physics, a broad statement, he knows,
and one either extremely impudent or superbly confident, according to
the viewpoint of the critic. The writer may be able
to throw a little additional light upon the question of
the relation between gravitation and the excitement waves of radiant entity,
without attempting to go into details. He wishes to suggest that,
in view of the fact that the particles are connected
by the lines of gravitation, any great extended and rapid
disturbance of a number of particles would cause a series
of undulating or wave like movements in the lines, which
might be spoken of as waves of agitation or unrest
in the lines of gravitation. This agitation or unrest, of course,
would be thus communicated to all other particles toward whom
lines extended. The intensity or effect of such agitation or
unrest depending upon the relative distances and the number of
particles involved. We may easily imagine how the intense and
high rate of vib vibration among the particles of the Sun,
manifesting as intense heat, will cause a like high degree
of agitation or unrest among the lines of gravitation, the
lines dancing backward and forward, around and about, following the
movements of the particles, and thus producing waves of gravitational
agitation and unrest, which, when communicated to the particles of
the Earth, would produce a similar excitement among the particles
of the latter in the same way the sun spots
and consequent terrestrial electrical disturbance may be explained. When not
absolutely trying himself to this particular conception of the details
of the workings of the law the writer feels free
to say that he considers it a very reasonable idea,
and one that in all probability will be found to
come nearer to explaining the phenomena then any other hypothesis.
It certainly coincience with the undulatory wave theory of science.
The idea is but rudely expressed here for lack of space,
it being impossible to attempt to go into details, the
mere mention of general principles being all that is possible
at this time and space. And now for a few
additional words on the subject of our theory that in
place of the hypothetical ether of science, a substance that
is not substance, there exists a great ocean of cosmic mind.
The idea is not without corroborative proof in the direction
of the thought of advanced thinkers, even among the ranks
of science. While science has accustomed the public to the
idea that in the universal ether might be found the
origin of matter, the essence of entity, the secret of motion,
it has not spoken of mind in connection with this
universal something. But the idea is not altogether new, and
some daring scientific thinkers have placed themselves on record regarding saying,
let us quote from a few of them, It all
makes weather our path. Edward Drinker Cope and several of
his writings hinted at the idea that the basis of
life and consciousness lay back of the atoms and might
be found in the universal ether. Dolbia says, possibly the
ether may be the medium through which mind and matter react.
Hemp Street says mind in the ether is known more
unnatural than mind in flesh and blood. Stock Will says
the Ether is coming to be apprehended as an immaterial,
superphysical substance, filling all space, carrying in its infinite throbbing
bosom the specs of aggregated dynamic force called worlds. It
embodies the ala to much spiritual principle, and represents the
unity of those forces and energies from which spring as
their source all phenomena physical, mental, and spiritual, as they
are known to man. Dolbia speaks of the ether as
a substance which, besides the function of energy and motion,
has other inherent properties, out of which could emerge under
proper circumstances as a phenomena such as life or mind,
or whatever may be in the a substratum. Newton spoke
of it as a subtle spirit or immaterial substance. Dolbia says,
the ether the properties of which we vainly strive to
interpret in the terms of matter, the undiscovered properties of
which ought to warn everyone against the danger of strongly
asserting what is possible and what is impossible in the
nature of things. Rock Will says that the ether is
not matter in any of its forms. Scientists are agreed.
Scientists are agreed. Delbier again says, if the ether that
fills all spaces, not atomic in structure, presents no friction
to bodies moving through it, and is not subject to
the law of gravitation, it does not seem proper to
call it matter. One might speak of it as a
substance if he wants another name for it. As for myself,
I make a sharp distinction between the ether and matter,
and feel somewhat confused to hear one speak of the
ether as matter. And yet, in spite of the above expressions,
no scientist has dared to say, in plain words that
the ether, or whatever took the place of the ether,
must be mind, although several seem to be on the
verge of the declaration, but apparently afraid to voice their
thoughts a view of what we have seen in our
consideration of the facts and principles advanced in this chapter,
we are invited to consider the following two supplemental propositions
supplemental proposition three. Connecting each particle of substance with each
and every other particle of substance, there exist lines of
mental connection, the thickness of which depends upon the distance
between the two particles, decreasing in proportion as a distance
is increased. These lines may be considered as conditions of
the great ocean of cosmic mind, which pervades and fills
all space, including the essence of inner being of the
particles of substance, as well as the space between the
said particles. These lines are the lines of gravitation by
and over which the phenomenon of gravitation is manifested. These
lines of gravitation have always existing between each particle and
every other particle, and have persisted continuously and constantly throughout
all the changes of condition and position and relation that
the particles have undergone. There is no passage or transmission
of energy or force of gravitation over these lines or
any other channel, but on the contrary, the energy or
force of gravitation is a constant and continuous mental connection
or bond existing between the mind of the particles, rather
than between the subtenance or material supplemental proposition four. The
lines of gravitation mentioned in the preceding proposition are the
medium over which travel or are transmitted as thought waves
resulting from the excitement of the particles, and by which
waves the mental states are communicated or transmitted. The same
medium transmits or carries the mental force of attraction, cohesion,
chemical affinity, etc. Evidencing in the relation of the particles
to each other. Thus, gravitation not only performs its own work,
but also acts as a common carrier for the waves
of excitement, manifesting as radiant entity and the waves of
desire force manifesting as attractive enity. And here the writer
rests his case in the action in the Forum of
Advanced Thought entitled the Theory of Dynamic Thought versus the
Theory of Aristotle's Ether, in which he appears for the plaintiff.
He begs that you, the members of the jury, will
give to the evidence and argument due consideration to the end,
the end that you may render a just verdict