is raised the further the horizon of
knowledge extends and the clairvoyant is able to hand down information
that appears quite miraculous; but it is perfectly natural. If a
certain person were born blind and had never understood any more about
eyesight than most people understand about clairvoyance; if this
person could know how many doorways were in a large building only by
groping along with his hands and thus acquiring the knowledge by
touch, and another person who could see should glance along the block
and instantly tell the blind man the correct number, that would be to
the blind man a miracle. Now, when a clairvoyant sees things at a
distance where the physical eye cannot reach he really does nothing
more remarkable. When we see a thing we receive the vibrations caused
by light. That gives the information. When the clairvoyant "sees" at a
distance through what we mistakenly call solid substances he receives
vibrations of matter so fine that it interpenetrates solids as the
ether does.

Every human being must make, and is making, this long evolutionary
journey from spiritual infancy to godlike power and perfection, but
there are two ways in which it may be done. We may, as the vast
majority do, accept the process of unconscious evolution and submit to
nature's whip and spur that continuously urge the thoughtless and
indifferent forward until they finally reach the goal. Or, we may
choose conscious evolution and work intelligently with nature, thus
making progress that is comparatively of enormous rapidity and at the
same time avoid much of what Hamlet called the "slings and arrows of
outrageous fortune."

The degree to which mind can control circumstances and dominate matter
is far greater than is generally believed. Our impressions about
matter are very illusory. No form of matter is permanent. Change goes
on everywhere at every instant, by physical laws in the physical body
and by astral and mental laws in our invisible bodies. We are not the
same being, physically, mentally or spiritually, any two days in
succession. The very soul itself is subject to this law of change. It
may expand and shine out through the physical organism resplendent, or
it may only faintly glimmer through a constantly coarsening body.

What is the law of soul growth? Through adherence to what principle
may we reach spiritual illumination? There are certain well
established facts about the laws of growth that we should not overlook
w