Page:The astral world, higher occult powers; (IA astralworldhighe00tiff).pdf/152

 from without, it is by representations of that which addresses it. But when I go to the Spiritual world, I go with this divine consciousness, this constant, unchanging consciousness within, but not as a principle which belongs to me, which is individualized within me. It is just as universal as God. It is the divine consciousness which is unindividualized within me, and wherever that is, I must be, because of the ubiquity of this divine principle. If there were any point from which this could be excluded, and into which the individual could be thrust, he would be annihilated.

What we need is to bring the external consciousness into unceasing relation with this internal consciousness. That which does not come into such relation with this absolute consciousness does not become a part of our finite selfhood—a part of our immortal selfhood. Standing before you I perceive your countenances, because your images are brought into a certain relation to this absolute consciousness within me. Now when they come into unceasing relation to this unchanging consciousness, they become a part of my external, finite selfhood. Memory is the result of bringing events into such relation with this consciousness.

Looking at man, then, as possessing an absolute consciousness which never changes, and an external consciousness which is constantly changing, and which alone causes one man to differ from his fellow, it is apparent that if individuality is preserved upon entering the Spiritual world, each must take with him so much as causes him to differ from others. Whenever this external nature would represent itself to another,