William Atkinson - The Complete Works of William Walker Atkinson

We have given you the different views of these respective authorities not that we purpose adopting exclusively any of the various theories or hypotheses advanced, but merely that you may see that this question of an “Inner Consciousness” is not a mere vague theory of certain mystics and metaphysicians, but on the contrary is one that has attracted the earnest attention and consideration of scientific men and careful investigators along psychological lines. We shall have but very little to do with theories in this book—the Facts of the subject concern us more earnestly.

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WE HAVE seen, in the preceding chapter, that many leading minds have recognized the existence, and phenomena of, certain Planes of Consciousness lying outside of (below or above) the ordinary plane or field of ordinary consciousness. Brushing aside as unimportant the various names and terms that have been aplied to these planes or fields of “inner consciousness,” we easily find a common ground of agreement between all of the authorities. It is true that the subject has become somewhat clouded by the insistence of certain details of theory on the part of the several investigators, but they all practicaly agree upon the fundamental and basic facts and phenomena—and it is upon these basic and fundamental facts and phenomena that we shall rest our case as presented in this little book.

The student of psychology has heard much during the past decade regarding the many theories, some of them quite fantastic, designed to account for and explain the phenomena which science finds to exist and which it has classified as belonging to the inner­conscious plane of mental activity. Some of the theories advanced to account for the known facts and observed phenomena, have attracted to their support many followers, the respective schools holding animated and sometimes fierce contest regarding the validity and superior qualities of their respective schools and their founders. But with these theories, and the schools which have been built up upon them, this work will have little to do or say. Enough for us is the fact of the existence of the phenomena, and the fact that there is certainly in manifestation an area of mental activity, which for reasons that we shall state we have called “The Inner Consciousness.” Recognizing the fact of the phenomena and accepting it as proven truth, we shall proceed to consider its manifestations, and apparent laws, and also the methods whereby one may use this mental activity to advantage. But we shall leave the theories to the theorists, and the discussions regarding the same to those who are fond of such exercises of the mind—for ourselves, we are tired of such things, and prefer to deal with observed facts, and the “how to get results” part of the question. We are apt to regard as a truth the observation of the writer who said: “Theories are but mighty soap­bubbles, with which the grown up children of science amuse themselves.” And we also view with favor the lines of the poet in which he says:

“The nearer to the practical men keep—

The less they deal in vague and abstract things—

The less they deal in huge, mysterious words—

The mightier is their power.

The simple peasant who observes a truth,

And from the fact deduces principle,

Adds solid treasure to the public wealth.

The theorist who dreams a rainbow dream,

And calls hypothesis philosophy,

At best is but a paper financier

Who palms his specious promises for gold.

Facts are the basis of philosophy;

Philosophy the harmony of facts,

Seen in their right relation.”

As a matter of fact, in order to account for the phenomena of the Inner Consciousness, it is not necessary to believe in, or assume, the hypothesis of any kind of a “dual­mind” at all. One mind may contain within itself sufficient to account for the facts, without postulating a “two­mind” theory. One mind may contain within itself two, or many more than two, planes or fields of activity or consciousness, upon which and in which the varied mental phenomena may be manifested. In order to understand the phenomena of the Inner Consciousness, all that it is necessary for us to do is to start with the idea that in the mind of every person there are areas, fields, or planes of mental activity above and below the field, area, or plane that we know as “The Outer Consciousness.” In other words, to assume (1) that there are basements, or cellars, vaults and sub­vaults of mind, below the level of the mental first floor in which we consider the results of our mental processes; and (2) is this true that also there are several mental stories above (as well as below) the one on which we do our “considering.” And it is with these several stories of mind—these planes or areas of mental activity—that we shall now have to do in this work.

As we have seen from the authorities quoted, the fields or areas of mind, outside of the circle of the Outer Consciousness, are many and varied. Careful investigators have divided the mental activities of these several planes or areas into two general classes, namely (1) those “below” the plane of outer consciousness, and which have the nature of automatic action; and (2) those “above” the plane of outer consciousness, and which have the nature of intuitive action, etc.

Some investigators have given to these two general planes or fields of mentation, the names of “the sub­conscious,” and the “super­conscious,” respectively—the term “sub” meaning “under, beneath, etc.,” and the term “super” meaning “above, over, etc.,” The trouble with this classification is that it places the “conscious mind,” or that portion of our mentality the actions of which we may call “the outer,” in the center of a scale, the extremes of which represent the higher and lower phases of “inner” mentation, respectively. This is not correct, for the so­called “conscious” mind is merely a “field of observation” before which passes the results of mental activity on the other planes, which when evolved pass into the field of consciousness, just as a star passes into the field of observation of a telescope, or a tiny object into the field of observation of the microscope, and is then perceived by the watching organ of vision. These objects passing into the “field of observation” of the outer consciousness, may come from the higher or lower planes of the Inner Mind. In fact the best observers know there can be no hard and fast line drawn between the activities and manifestations of the two respective groups of planes known as the “sub­conscious” and “super­conscious” minds. These activities shade into each other, and are like the degrees on a scale which are merely symbols which record the comparative and relative stages of manifestation of a thing, but which do not divide the thing into absolute divisions or classes.

In fact, the very best occult authorities inform us that there are very many degrees or “planes” of mental activity, higher and lower, outside of the field of observation of the Outer Consciousness. On the lower planes of consciousness are to be found the consciousness of the various cells, and cell­groups, in our bodies, which constitute the “organ minds” which occultists know to exist. Then there are many planes of mentation concerned with directing the bodily activities. Then there are many planes of “thought” below the ordinary field of outer consciousness—and many planes of “awareness” and “knowing” above that of the ordinary intellectual operations of the average mind. These planes are merely the many degrees in the grand scale of Mind. We shall learn something of certain of them, as we proceed with these lessons.