Page:The Philosophy of Creation.djvu/231

 rays of light, which have undergone modifications made by the reflecting body, whereby an image is impressed upon the retina. Mental light flows down into the organism of the spiritual eye, and meets the activity of ether which ascends by means of the natural eye. Thus the spirit is enabled to see on the plane of nature through the natural eye. Mental light, or spiritual light, is the light in which the mind sees. It is the light of the understanding. All natural sight is from the understanding. The eye can not see of itself; nor can the ear hear, the hand feel, the nose smell, or the tongue taste of themselves. It is the interior life of man, the life of the spirit, which is the life of the will and understanding, or of the affections and thoughts, that has sensation of the things in nature through the organs of the body. The body is simply an instrument by means of which the spirit reaches down into nature to perceive her forms and qualities. Therefore when the spirit is withdrawn from the body, the body has no sensation; yet the spirit continues in the exercise of all its faculties and senses on the plane of its own organization.

That sight is from the mind's light flowing down into forms impressed upon the natural eye is illustrated by objects appearing to one in a dark room and with eyes closed, after the light