lecture20-第7章

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refer　to　his　posthumous　work；　〃Human　Personality　in　the　Light　of



Recent　Research；〃　which　is　already　announced　by　Messrs。　



Longmans；　Green　&　Co。　as　being　in　press。　　Mr。　Myers　for　the



first　time　proposed　as　a　general　psychological　problem　the



exploration　of　the　subliminal　region　of　consciousness　throughout



its　whole　extent；　and　made　the　first　methodical　steps　in　its



topography　by　treating　as　a　natural　series　a　mass　of　subliminal



facts　hitherto　considered　only　as　curious　isolated　facts　and



subjecting　them　to　a　systematized　nomenclature。　　How　important



this　exploration　will　prove；　future　work　upon　the　path　which



Myers　has　opened　can　alone　show。　　compare　my　paper：　　〃Frederic



Myers's　services　to　Psychology；〃　in　the　said　Proceedings；　part



xlii。；　May；　1901。







＇355＇　Compare　the　inventory　given　above　on　pp。　472…4；　and　also



what　is　said　of　the　subconscious　self　on　pp。　228…231；　235…236。















Let　me　then　propose；　as　an　hypothesis；　that　whatever　it　may　be　on



its　FARTHER　side；　the　〃more〃　with　which　in　religious　experience



we　feel　ourselves　connected　is　on　its　HITHER　side　the



subconscious　continuation　of　our　conscious　life。　Starting　thus



with　a　recognized　psychological　fact　as　our　basis；　we　seem　to



preserve　a　contact　with　〃science〃　which　the　ordinary　theologian



lacks。　　At　the　same　time　the　theologian's　contention　that　the



religious　man　is　moved　by　an　external　power　is　vindicated；　for　it



is　one　of　the　peculiarities　of　invasions　from　the　subconscious



region　to　take　on　objective　appearances；　and　to　suggest　to　the



Subject　an　external　control。　　In　the　religious　life　the　control



is　felt　as　〃higher〃；　but　since　on　our　hypothesis　it　is　primarily



the　higher　faculties　of　our　own　hidden　mind　which　are



controlling；　the　sense　of　union　with　the　power　beyond　us　is　a



sense　of　something；　not　merely　apparently；　but　literally　true。







This　doorway　into　the　subject　seems　to　me　the　best　one　for　a



science　of　religions；　for　it　mediates　between　a　number　of



different　points　of　view。　　Yet　it　is　only　a　doorway；　and



difficulties　present　themselves　as　soon　as　we　step　through　it；



and　ask　how　far　our　transmarginal　consciousness　carries　us　if　we



follow　it　on　its　remoter　side。　　Here　the　over…beliefs　begin：　



here　mysticism　and　the　conversion…rapture　and　Vedantism　and



transcendental　idealism　bring　in　their　monistic



interpretations＇356＇　and　tell　us　that　the　finite　self　rejoins　the



absolute　self；　for　it　was　always　one　with　God　and　identical　with



the　soul　of　the　world。＇357＇　　Here　the　prophets　of　all　the



different　religions　come　with　their　visions；　voices；　raptures；



and　other　openings；　supposed　by　each　to　authenticate　his　own



peculiar　faith。







＇356＇　Compare　above；　pp。　410　ff。







＇357＇　One　more　expression　of　this　belief；　to　increase　the



reader's　familiarity　with　the　notion　of　it：







〃If　this　room　is　full　of　darkness　for　thousands　of　years；　and　you



come　in　and　begin　to　weep　and　wail；　'Oh；　the　darkness；'　will　the



darkness　vanish？　　Bring　the　light　in；　strike　a　match；　and　light



comes　in　a　moment。　　So　what　good　will　it　do　you　to　think　all　your



lives；　'Oh；　I　have　done　evil；　I　have　made　many　mistakes'？　　It



requires　no　ghost　to　tell　us　that。　　Bring　in　the　light；　and　the



evil　goes　in　a　moment。　　Strengthen　the　real　nature；　build　up



yourselves；　the　effulgent；　the　resplendent；　the　ever　pure；　call



that　up　in　every　one　whom　you　see。　　I　wish　that　every　one　of　us



had　come　to　such　a　state　that　even　when　we　see　the　vilest　of



human　beings　we　can　see　the　God　within；　and　instead　of



condemning；　say；　'Rise；　thou　effulgent　One；　rise　thou　who　art



always　pure；　rise　thou　birthless　and　deathless；　rise　almighty；



and　manifest　your　nature。'　。　。　。　This　is　the　highest　prayer　that



the　Advaita　teaches。　　This　is　the　one　prayer：　　remembering　our



nature。〃。　。　。　〃Why　does　man　go　out　to　look　for　a　God？　。　。　。　It　is



your　own　heart　beating；　and　you　did　not　know；　you　were　mistaking



it　for　something　external。　　He；　nearest　of　the　near；　my　own　self；



the　reality　of　my　own　life；　my　body　and　my　soul。I　am　Thee　and



Thou　art　Me。　　That　is　your　own　nature。　　Assert　it；　manifest　it。　



Not　to　become　pure；　you　are　pure　already。　　You　are　not　to　be



perfect；　you　are　that　already。　　Every　good　thought　which　you



think　or　act　upon　is　simply　tearing　the　veil；　as　it　were；　and　the



purity；　the　Infinity；　the　God　behind；　manifests　itselfthe



eternal　Subject　of　everything；　the　eternal　Witness　in　this



universe；　your　own　Self。　　Knowledge　is；　as　it　were；　a　lower　step；



a　degradation。　　We　are　It　already；　how　to　know　It？〃　　Swami



Viverananda：　Addresses；　No。　XII。；　Practical　Vedanta；　part　iv。　pp。



172；　174；　London；　1897；　and　Lectures；　The　Real　and　the　Apparent



Man；　p。　24；　abridged。















Those　of　us　who　are　not　personally　favored　with　such　specific



revelations　must　stand　outside　of　them　altogether　and；　for　the



present　at　least；　decide　that；　since　they　corroborate



incompatible　theological　doctrines；　they　neutralize　one　another



and　leave　no　fixed　results。　　If　we　follow　any　one　of　them；　or　if



we　follow　philosophical　theory　and　embrace　monistic　pantheism　on



non…mystical　grounds；　we　do　so　in　the　exercise　of　our　individual



freedom；　and　build　out　our　religion　in　the　way　most　congruous



with　our　personal　susceptibilities。　　Among　these　susceptibilities



intellectual　ones　play　a　decisive　part。　　Although　the　religious



question　is　primarily　a　question　of　life；　of　living　or　not　living



in　the　higher　union　which　opens　itself　to　us　as　a　gift；　yet　the



spiritual　excitement　in　which　the　gift　appears　a　real　one　will



often　fail　to　be　aroused　in　an　individual　until　certain



particular　intellectual　beliefs　or　ideas　which；　as　we　say；　come



home　to　him；　are　touched。＇358＇　These　ideas　will　thus　be　essential



to　that　individual's　religion；which　is　as　much　as　to　say　that



over…beliefs　in　various　directions　are　absolutely　indispensable；



and　that　we　should　treat　them　with　tenderness　and　tolerance　so



long　as　they　are　not　intolerant　themselves。　As　I　have　elsewhere



written；　the　most　interesting　and　valuable　things　about　a　man　are



usually　his　over…beliefs。







＇358＇　For　instance；　here　is　a　case　where　a　person　exposed　from



her　birth　to　Christian　ideas　had　to　wait　till　they　came　to　her



clad　in　spiritistic　formulas　before　the　saving　experience　set



in：







〃For　myself　I　can　say　that　spiritualism　has　saved　me。　　It　was



revealed　to　me　at　a　critical　moment　of　my　life；　and　without　it　I



don't　know　what　I　should　have　done。　　It　has　taught　me　to　detach



myself　from　worldly　things　and　to　place　my　hope　in　things　to



come。　　Through　it　I　have　learned　to　see　in　all　men；　even　in　those



most　criminal；　even　in　those　from　whom　I　have　most　suffered；



undeveloped　brothers　to　whom　I　owed　assistance；　love；　and



forgiveness。　　I　have　learned　that　I　must　lose　my　temper　over



nothing　despise　no　one；　and　pray　for　all。　　Most　of　all　I　have



learned　to　pray！　　And　although　I　have　still　much　to　learn　in　this



domain；　prayer　ever　brings　me　more　strength；　consolation；　and



comfort。　　I　feel　more　than　ever　that　I　have　only　made　a　few　steps



on　the　long　road　of　progress；　but　I　look　at　its　length　without



dismay；　for　I　have　confidence　that　the　day　will　come　when　all　my



efforts　shall　be　rewarded。　　So　Spiritualism　has　a　great　place　in



my　life；　indeed　it　holds　the　first　place　there。〃　　Flournoy



Collection。















Disregarding　the　over　beliefs；　and　confining　ourselves　to　what　is



common　and　generic；　we　have　in　the　fact　that　the　conscious　person



is　continuous　with　a　wider　self　through　which　saving　experiences



come；＇359＇　a　positive　content　of　religious　experience　which；　it



seems　to　me；　is　literally　and　objectively　true　as　far　as　it　goes。







If　I　now　proceed　to　state　my　own　hypothesis　about　the　farther



limits　of　this　extension　of　our　personality；　I　shall　be　offering



my　own　over…belief　though　I　know　it　will　appear　a　sorry



under…belief　to　some　of　youfor　which　I　can　only　bespeak　the



same　indulgence　which　in　a　converse　case　I　should　accord　to



yours。







＇359＇　〃The　influence　of　the　Holy　Spirit；　exquisitely　called　the



Comforter；　is　a　matter　of　actual　experience；　as　solid　a　reality



as　that　of　electro　magnetism。〃　　W。　C。　Brownell；　Scribner's



Magazine；　vol。　xxx。　p。　112。















　The　further　limits　of　our　being　plunge；　it　seems　to　me；



into　an　altogether　other　dimension　of　existence　from　the　sensible



and　merely　〃understandable〃　world。　　Name　it　the　mystical　region；



or　the　supernatural　region；　whichever　you　choose。　　So　far　as　our



ideal　impulses　originate　in　this　region　（and　most　of　them　do



originate　in　it；　for　we　find　them　possessing　us　in　a　way　for



which　we　cannot　articulately　account）；　we　belong　to　it　in　a　more



intimate　sense　than　that　in　which　we　belong　to　the　visible　world；



for　we　belong　in　the　most　intimate　sense　wherever　our　ideals



belong。　　Yet　the　unseen　region　in　question　is　not　merely　ideal；



for　it　produces　effects　in　this　world。　　When　we　commune　with　it；



work　is　actually　done　upon　our　finite　personality；　for　we　are



turned　into　new　men；　and　consequences　in　the　way　of　conduct



follow　in　the　natural　world　upon　our　regenerative　change。＇360＇



But　that　which　produces　effects　within　another　reality　must　be



termed　a　reality　itself；　so　I　feel　as　if　we　had　no　philosophic



excuse　for　calling　the　unseen　or　mystical　world　unreal。







＇360＇　That　the　transaction　of　opening　ourselves；　otherwise　called



prayer；　is　a　perfectly　definite　one　for　certain　persons；　appears



abundantly　in　the　preceding　lectures。　　I　append　another　concrete



example　to　rein　force　the　impression　on　the　reader's　mind：







〃Man　can　learn　to　transcend　these　limitations　＇of　finite　thought＇



and　draw　power　and　wisdom　at　will。　。　。　。　The　divine　presence　is



known　through　experience。　　The　turning　to　a　higher　plane　is　a



distinct　act　of　consciousness。　　It　is　not　a　vague；　twilight　or



semi…conscious　experience。　　It　is　not　an　ecstasy；　it　is　not　a



trance。　　It　is　not　super…consciousness　in　the　Vedantic　sense。　　It



is　not　due　to　self…hypnotization。　　It　is　a　perfectly　calm；　sane；



sound；　rational；　common…sense　shifting　of　consciousness　from　the



phenomena　of　sense…perception　to　the　phenomena　of　seership；　from



the　thought　of　self　to　a　distinctively　higher　realm。　。　。　。　For



example；　if　the　lower