Page:The astral world, higher occult powers; (IA astralworldhighe00tiff).pdf/79

 *taining to each of the three spheres—the nerve-sphere, the spirit-sphere, and the divine-sphere. On coming into rapport with this audience, I through the nerve-medium by external means perceive individuals about me—perceive their forms, their faces, and their relative positions to each other; that is, by an external medium which represents the individual through the nerve-medium to my consciousness. But I may come internally into rapport with these individuals by bringing my nerve-system into harmony with their nerve-system, and becoming negative to them. To explain: when I bring my nerve-system into sympathy with you, I take your sensations upon myself. If you have a pain in your head, I have a pain in my head also, corresponding in location and character to yours; or if you experience a pain in any other part of your body, I feel that pain. Not a word has passed between us concerning it, but nevertheless it comes upon me, and affects me in precisely the same manner that it does you. Now this I consider analogous to the inspiration which belongs to the higher plane. This is the inspiration of the nerve-sympathy. Permit me to explain briefly what I understand by harmony; because the great law of harmony is fundamental to a comprehension of the law of inspiration.

You are aware that if we take two strings of equal length and tension, and vibrate one of them, its vibration communicates its motion to the atmosphere, and through the atmosphere to the adjoining string, so that they at length vibrate together. This experiment may be made by any one; and it will be found that in this manner they can be caused to give forth the