William Atkinson - The Essential Works of William Walker Atkinson - 50+ Books in One Edition

The primary laws of thought hold that the essence, nature, substance, and very being of a thing remain the same, notwithstanding the difference of the forms, shapes, states, or conditions under which the thing occurs, presents itself, or appears. Also, that what is is always Itself and never not Itself. We have seen, also, that ALL that is in EVERY BEING is in SPIRIT.

SPIRIT IN CREATION.

From the above we see that all that is real in Creation must be in SPIRIT; there is nowhere else it could be. As it is in SPIRIT, it follows that SPIRIT must be in it ; for SPIRIT is everywhere and in everything that is, by reason of the primary facts of its nature. More than this, the real essence, nature, substance, and very being of Creation, and all the parts thereof, must be actually and in fact naught but SPIRIT itself. There is nothing else but Spirit to be the real essence, nature, substance, and very being of Creation and all the parts thereof; and nothing else for Spirit to be, so long as there is Creation in existence.

SPIRIT IS ALWAYS SPIRIT.

Moreover, as SPIRIT is always SPIRIT and can never be anything else but SPIRIT,—as SPIRIT is always Spirit in essence, nature, substance, and very being, notwithstanding the infinite variety of difference in the forms, shapes, states, or conditions under which it occurs, presents itself, or appears in its Creation and all the parts thereof,—then it follows that SPIRIT is the INNER THING of the Cosmos, and that that which we call the Cosmos is merely the OUTER THING of SPIRIT. In this sense we see that not only is SPIRIT immanent in the Cosmos, but also that SPIRIT and the Cosmos, and all the parts thereof, are identical in essence, nature, substance, and very being.

THE TOTALITY OF SPIRIT.

We have seen that SPIRIT is Immutable and Indivisible, Changeless and Inseparable. Therefore, SPIRIT cannot change itself into the Universe; neither can it divide itself into the Universe. This being so, it follows that the Universe, and every part thereof, has as its essence, nature, substance, and principle, not only SPIRIT, but actually, verily, truthfully, and in fact the TOTALITY OF SPIRIT—All-Spirit. This is a stupendous idea, a magnificent conception, a startling and almost terrifying conclusion. But it is the inevitable report of trained and developed reason directed to the subject. It is the ultimate report of Reason regarding the nature of the Cosmos, which is the Creation of SPIRIT. The reason cannot escape from it. Being true to itself, it must so report.

The TOTALITY of SPIRIT is immanent in and identical with every thing, fact, detail, event, or activity of Creation.

It is most difficult for the average mind to assimilate this terrific report of reason. Such a mind must approach the fact very carefully, cautiously, and gradually. The reason may positively report a great truth, but it is often a long and tedious process to assimilate the truth thus reported by the reason. The mind must not attempt to "bolt" such a large portion of Truth as this, but must mentally masticate it, slowly swallow it, and then digest it gradually. It is necessary to "Fletcherize" the Truth; to allow it to "swallow itself" as it dissolves in the saliva of apperception; and, finally, to allow it time, quiet, and ease in its digestion. Otherwise the outraged mind may indignantly regurgitate it; or else, retaining it, may give its owner a severe attack of mental and Spiritual dyspepsia.

The Truth may be masticated by illustrations from previous experience. Apperception consists in assimilation of new perceptions with old ones. If the mind is given an illustration of some familiar experience, it will associate the new fact with it, and all will then be well. Therefore, let us consider a few familiar experiences as an illustration of this Truth.

ILLUSTRATION.

Everyone has a mind. Everyone creates ideas, images, and thoughts in that mind; Mental images, thought-forms, mental creations are always appearing in the mind. The mind is never inactive, on all of its planes, at any time, even in sleep. It is always creating, working, manufacturing, and everything in it is constantly changing, while the mind itself persists. And everything that is created in the mind is always associated with other creations that precede or follow it. The Law of Continuity and Association is ever evident and active in mental processes. The Law of Change is equally evident there. In fact, every law that we have seen to be manifest in the Cosmos may be seen in operation in the processes of the Mind.

We have seen that Mind creates thought-forms, images, etc. How? Does it take some of its own material, make up thought, and then set it adrift for itself? Apparently not. It is unthinkable that Mind can take material from itself, use it up, and set it adrift in this way. How, then, can it create thought? Simply in the way of mental appearance or presentation to itself. In some way different from anything else we see in Nature it is able to form in itself (not out of itself) thought-forms, mental images, etc., hold them up to its own inspection and consideration, and then dismiss them. And all the time Mind itself remains unchanged in essence, nature, substance, and principle. So far the illustration seems to "go on all fours" (as the lawyers say) with Spirit in Creation, does it not? Let us pursue it further and see whether or not it will continue to "work out."

IMMANENCE IN THOUGHT.

A leading authority says: "We are never conscious of any experience separated or detached from the mind.… You yourself enter as a constituent into every mental fact of which you are conscious . In other words, in being conscious of mental facts we are conscious of ourselves.…As you never know the act or state of experience apart from yourself, so you never know yourself apart from the act or state of experience.…The self of consciousness exists, not apart from, but as an element of the various experiences of which we are conscious." Is not this a good illustration of the immanence of the thinker in his thought-creations? Raise this idea to the Universal and have we not a fair working illustration of the presence of Creation in SPIRIT and the immanence of SPIRIT in Creation?

"CHARACTERS."

But, you may object, this illustration may do very well so far as inanimate objects go; but how about living beings, persons with distinct "characters"? The mind does not think characters into being. Doesn't it? Consider a moment. Do not novelists, poets, and dramatists create "characters" in their mind? Do they not live themselves out in their characters? So real are these created characters that we feel as if they were real characters we have known; we weep over them and rejoice with them. But the characters would be nothing whatever unless the mind and life of their creators were in them. Othello would be nothing were it not for Shakespeare. Uriah Heap would be nothing were it not for Dickens. These Creators enter into their characters and impart life to them; they live through them, fool through them, act through them, speak through them. Note this: Just as these characters exist in the mind creating them, so does the mind creating them exist in and through the characters. The character is in the Creator; the Creator is in the character. Is Othello himself or his Creator? the Moor or Shakespeare? Is Uriah Heep merely the character who is "so humble, so very humble," or is he Dickens looking through Uriah's eyes and speaking through his lips? Where does the Creator leave off and character begin?

THE ARTIST IN HIS CREATIONS.

Moreover, the writer, poet, or dramatist frequently arrives at a knowledge of himself by the very creation of his characters. He knows himself by reason of them just as others know him by reason of them . The creative artist unfolds his own nature by reason of the unfoldment of his characters. What has been said here regarding the creation of characters in fiction, poetry, or the drama is also true—perhaps still more true—in the case of the painter or sculptor who materializes his mental creations. He not only lives through them, but he also gives to them objective form. When we view the Venus of Milo, we see the soul of the sculptor long since passed from mortal view; it lives in and through its creation. When we gaze at the inscrutable smile on the lips of the Mona Lisa, we are in touch with the soul of Leonardo da Vinci, the artist who lived several hundred years ago. These men not only created these characters, and lived through them, but gave to them objective shape and form and continue to live through their own material bodies. Yes, "characters" may be mentally created as well as mere forms, images, and abstract ideas.