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Moreover, consciousness necessitates constant change in the object of consciousness. Consciousness of one invariable object soon ceases to be consciousness and fades by degrees into unconsciousness. In order to maintain consciousness it is necessary to have a constant flow of changing ideas or impressions pass before the field of consciousness. If we listen to a single note long continued, it fades from consciousness; if we gaze at a single unchanging object, we soon lose consciousness of that object. A single odor continually presenting itself to us soon ceases to be sensed consciously; a feeling or sensation continuously present soon ceases to be noticed. Consciousness abhors monotony and necessitates constant change. The secret of this lies in the fact that consciousness is largely, if not entirely, dependent upon attention, and attention will not hold itself long upon a monotonous or unchanging object. Attention is either the focusing of consciousness or else the detention of an idea, impression, or image in consciousness. Attention soon declines if the stimulus does not vary and change, or if some new attribute is not discovered in the object or idea. There is no reason for doubting that, even when mind is raised to Infinity, and is seen to be Universal Mind, the facts of consciousness become different in nature. This being so, we should expect a continuous, ever-changing flow of ideas, images, and other products of ideation before the field of consciousness of the Universal Mind of SPIRIT.

UNIVERSAL SUBCONSCIOUSNESS.

Moreover, as in finite mind we recognize the great field of activities known as "the subconscious," in which consciousness shades by imperceptible graduations into unconscious activities, so we may expect to find Universal Mind manifesting these lesser degrees of consciousness as well. We should expect to find that many of its activities are performed on the hidden planes of consciousness, to be brought into the bright light of the field of consciousness when required.

THE "LIFENESS" OF SPIRIT.

Finally, we should expect to find the explanation of the activities toward consciousness, on the part of Universal Mind as well as of finite mind, in the fact that consciousness is the essence of mind, and that mind is the essence of life . As it has been expressed, consciousness is the "mindness" of Mind, and Mind is the "lifeness" of Life. Just as the finite Mind strives ever for consciousness in order to manifest its "mindness" and "lifeness," so may we think the Infinite Mind of Spirit, ever expressing its "lifeness" in consciousness. Mind without consciousness is not mind in its fullest expression, and life without consciousness is not life in its fullest expression. To actually and fully " live ," consciousness must be manifest. We have seen that Spirit is the essence of Life. Being this, it must be regarded as living . Living, it must be conceived of as being conscious and thus expressing and manifesting its "lifeness." The reason reports that the Universal Mind of Spirit may be thought of as manifesting consciousness, or conscious expression, in order to express its own "lifeness." Of course, such consciousness and such "lifeness" must be regarded as raised to infinity of possibility and capability, and its expressions and manifestations of consciousness must be thought of as on an infinite scale.

SPIRIT AS UNIVERSAL MIND.

Summing up the idea, we see that Spirit, considered in terms of Universal Mind, may be thought of as (1) manifesting Ideation and Will; (2) forming ideative and creative ideas, mental images, pictures, or appearances by the exercise of Ideation and Will; (3) manifesting Law and Order, or Pure Logic, in its ideative, creative activities and manifestations; (4) manifesting its ideative, creative activities and manifestations that it may express consciousness, as otherwise it would be unconscious save only in its consciousness of its own existence; (5) manifesting constant change in its ideative and creative activities that consciousness may be maintained; (6) manifesting subconscious activities and energies, in various degrees, as well as those of actual consciousness; and (7) manifesting the activities of consciousness in order that it may express its "lifeness," for consciousness is the "lifeness" of Life.

Here we rest this phase of the consideration of Spirit in the terms of Universal Mind. Spirit may be considered as Universal Mind in its twin activities of Infinite Ideation and Will. Its Substance we may consider as Infinite Mind-Substance; its Power, as Infinite Mind-Power; its Life, as Infinite Mind-Life; its Law, as Infinite Mental-Law. But even so we run the risk of dwarfing our conception of Spirit by comparison. Raise even to Infinite Perception and Power our conception of Mind and we have but hinted at the possibilities and capabilities thereof. Reasoning with but finite minds, at the best we can expect to be but able, as Emerson says, "even by profane words, if sacred I may not use, to indicate the heaven of this deity, and to report what hints I have collected of the transcendent simplicity and energy of the Highest Law."

Table of Content

Table of Content

STATEMENT: SPIRIT eternally manifests Creation in Its own Substance; yet It eternally remains Itself Infinite, Eternal, Immutable, and Indivisible.

THE TEACHING of the wisest of the race, in all times and in all lands, is that Spirit eternally expresses itself in the Creation of an infinite series of universes, infinite time and infinite space being employed to produce infinite variety. It is held that in all the infinity of time and space there have never been two universes precisely the same. Infinite variety has accompanied infinite number.

THE DAYS AND NIGHTS OF BRAHM.

In many of the Oriental teachings will be found reference to the Days and Nights of Brahm—periods of Work and Rest, Inbreathing and Outbreathing, Activity and Passivity of Spirit. This figure of speech is accepted as final by many students. But it is really but a figurative expression of the activities concerning one series of universes. It is but a partial statement, and purposely overlooks the fact of the infinite number of universes in existence at any certain time in every stage of evolution or devolution, in every stage of the cosmic processes of birth, growth, decay, and death.

COSMIC DAYS AND NIGHTS.

The conception of the alternating periods of Work and Rest, Activity and Passivity, Cosmic Day and Cosmic Night, is not wholly untrue. It is a half truth; true so far as it goes, but merely a fragment of the Whole Truth. The illumined have perceived that the rhetorical figure of the Days and Nights of Brahm is capable of fuller and wider interpretation. They have recognized that while there is this manifestation of Day and Night in all Creation, it is nevertheless but a conception of finite fact and truth. The figure, even in our own world, is seen to be capable of fuller explanation. For instance, while our earth life has its days and nights, it is never day everywhere nor night everywhere at the same time and place. While it is day here it is night there . While sunlight floods the Eastern Hemisphere, the Western Hemisphere is bathed in the darkness of night. When it is High Noon in one place it is Midnight in another. The Law of the Opposites—the principle of Contradiction—is met here as elsewhere.

COSMIC HIGH NOON AND MIDNIGHT.

Accordingly, when one of a series of worlds begins to wane many worlds of other series are coming into being. High Noon in one is matched by Midnight in another. So in the Cosmos there exists an infinite number of worlds, and series of worlds, rising from the Void, or receding into it. And yet each of these universes (so called because of our partial view) is but a part of the GRAND UNIVERSE, the UNIVERSE OF UNIVERSES—the Cosmos of Infinity. More than this, each universe is but an atom of a greater universe, and this of another, and so on and on and on to Infinity. And each atom and each particle of which an atom is composed is, in its way, a universe. Infinity extends in both directions, the infinitely large being matched by the infinitesimally small; but, at the last, All is ONE.