Page:The astral world, higher occult powers; (IA astralworldhighe00tiff).pdf/22

 into our consciousness. It follows, as a matter of course, the universe can be no larger and no more perfect, than it can be inwrought into our consciousness; and it will be limited to us by our mental unfolding. Hence it will necessarily follow, that different individuals who are differently unfolded in the different departments of their intellectual and perceptional natures, will perceive being and existence in very different lights; and yet each will suppose that each sees it in the same lights, until we begin to compare notes. There will be as many different New Yorks as there are different minds to form images or conceptions of New York. So there will be as many different mental Earths or mental universes as there are minds to form conceptions of our Earth and the universe; and each mind will have the Earth or the universe fashioned into his own consciousness, and when it will investigate, it will investigate that which is then fashioned therein, and study it as fashioned there. It follows then, as a matter of course, that when the image of the existence within our consciousness corresponds to the actuality, that is, when the ideal in man corresponds to the real in God, then man has the truth—not till then. That is, when my perception of being and existence corresponds with the being and existence, then I have the truth of being and existence. But just so far as my idea or perception of being or existence deviates from its actuality, just so far my impression is false. These conclusions follow as a matter of necessity. Hence you and I will learn at once, that the first lesson for us to learn in commencing the study of the universe, is to learn ourselves. The very first volume that is