Page:Dealings with the dead.djvu/153

 parents being undoubtedly human, be immortal? Answer—As monsters, no! Idiots, both of whose parents are human, are essentially immortal. Idiotcy is but another name for weakness; and a monad having once put forth its powers sufficient to build itself a full human body, no matter how imperfect, must necessarily put forth more of its inherent energies, if not in one world or sphere, then in another, in the nurseries of the Soul-world; and as it grows strong it gradually approaches the point of self-ness—the Ego will be attained. It is only a question of time and condition. Not so with semi-brutes. Question—But women have conceived from human union, yet owing to some accident or fright, have brought forth monsters. Are these immortal? Answer—Nothing that is not human is immortal, in the sense of self-poisedness. and self-presence. If these monsters are cerebrally human, and their malformation be merely limb-distortion, then that thing is destined to super-mundane existence. Question—But human bodies, though brainless ones, have been born of women?—Well, they are not immortal. Violent chemical actions en utero has destroyed the conditions of successful monad-gestation, while perpetuating the vegetative fœtal life. Of course the thing is soulless. Question—But the monad had begun to put forth its energies. What then has become of it; is it forever blotted out of being? Answer—There stands a human female, but the body you see is not herself. The soul is her, not the flesh it wears. The monsters treated of in medical works are but the product of body—not of soul. In order to an immortality, the germ or monad must