realize that its connection with the physical plane had ceased, and in
others, because through a higher illumination the mind had, of its own
volition, turned its thought in another direction. In either case, on
the ceasing of the influx of that vitalizing current, the Vital Soul of
the human being would likewise be absorbed into the Cosmic Soul, or
Anima Mundi.

How long the processes of the disintegration of the etheric body, and
absorption of the vital soul may take, is a question on which I can
offer no opinion beyond saying that certain psychic phenomena suggest
that in some cases they may take a long period of time. But for the
reasons I have now given, it appears to me that the permanently
surviving factor is the thinking mind which is our real self, and is
positively our centre of consciousness after the physical body has been
put off.

By the facts of the case its consciousness is no longer affected by
vibrations received from the physical body; and therefore, to the
extent to which our idea of life has been centred in that body, we shall
feel its loss. If our motto has been "Let us eat and drink, for
to-morrow we die" we shall feel very dead indeed--a living death, a
consciousness of being cut off from all that constituted our enjoyment
of life--a thirst for the satisfaction of our customary ideas, which we
have no power to quench; and, in proportion as our habitual mode of
thought is raised above that lowest level, so will our sense of loss be
less. Then, by the same Law, if our habitual mode of thought is turned
towards pure, beautiful, and helpful ideals, we shall feel no loss at
all, for we shall carry our own ideals with us, and, I hope, see them
more clearly by reason of their disentanglement from mundane
considerations. In what precise way we may then be able to work out our
ideals I will not now stop to discuss. What we want first is a
reasonable theory, based upon the principle of that universal Law which
is only varied in its actions by the conditions under which it works;
so, instead of speculating as to precise details, we may generalize the
question of how we can work out the good ideals which we carry over with
us, and put it this way:--Our ideas are embodied in thoughts; thoughts
start trains of etheric waves, which waves induce reciprocal action
whenever they meet with a receiver capable of vibrating synchronously
with them, and so eventually the thought becomes a fact, and our helpful
and