LIFE AND MIND AMONG THE ATOMS
To the majority of persons the title of this chapter would seem an
absurdity. Not to speak of Inorganic "Mind," the idea of "Life" in the
Inorganic World would seem a ridiculous paradox to the "man on the
street" who thinks of Substance as "dead," lifeless and inert. And, to
tell the truth, even Science has held this view until a comparatively
recent period, laughing to scorn the old Occult Teaching that the
Universe is Alive, and capable of Thinking. But the recent discoveries
of modern Science has changed all this, and we no longer hear Science
speaking of "dead Matter" or "blind Force"--it recognizes that these
terms are meaningless, and that the dreams of the old Occultists are
coming true. Science confronts a live and thinking Universe. She is
dazzled by the sight, and would shade her eyes, fearing to see that
which she feels must present itself to her vision when her eyes become
accustomed to the sight.
But a few daring minds among the scientific investigators are dreaming
wonderful dreams to-day, and they tell us in broken tones of the
wonderful visions that are passing before their sight. They dare not
tell it all, for they fear the ridicule of their fellows. Their visions
are of Life--Universal Life. In its investigations of the Material,
Science has penetrated so far into the recesses of Things that its most
advanced thinkers and investigators now find themselves standing in the
presence of the Immaterial.
Science to-day is proclaiming the new doctrine--that is the same as the
"old" doctrine of the Occultists--the doctrine of "Life
Everywhere"--Life even in the hardest rock!
Before entering into our consideration of the evidence of Mentation in
the Inorganic world, let us accustom ourselves to the idea of "something
like Life" being found there. It will be better for us to approach the
subject by easy stages. Where there is Life there must be Mind--so let
us first look for evidences of Life.
The "man on the street" would require something more tangible than
scientific explanations of "sensation," "attraction," etc. What can we
offer him as an illustration? Let us see!
Suppose we call the attention of "the man" to the fact that metals get
tired after considerable work without periods of rest. Science calls
this the "fatigue of elasticity." When the metals are given rest, they
recuperate and regain their former elasticity and health. "The man" may
remember that his razor acts this way occasionally--and if he talks the
matter over with his barber, his suspicions will be verified.
Then, if he consults a musician friend, he will be informed that
tuning-forks also become tired, and lose their vibrating quality, until
they are given a rest. Then his machinist friend will tell him that
machinery in factories must be given a rest, occasionally, else it will
begin to disintegrate and "die." Machinery will go on a strike for a
rest, if it is overworked.
Then metals contract disease. Science informs us that zinc and tin have
been infected, and the infection has spread from sheet to sheet
crumbling the metal into powder--the spread of the infection resembling
the spread of a plague among animals or plant-life. Science has
experimented with copper and iron, and has found that these metals may
be poisoned with chemicals, and will remain in a weakened condition
until antidotes are administered. Window-glass workers declare that
there is such a thing as "glass-disease," that will ruin fine stained
glass windows unless the infected panes are removed. The "glass-disease"
starts with one pane, and spreads gradually to the entire window, and
from there to other windows.
Metallurgists have found that when metallic ores are put under certain
forms of pressure, they seem to lose strength, and become weak until the
pressure is removed.
Do these things mean anything to the "Man of the Street?"
Another step in the consideration of Life in the Inorganic world, is the
realization of the fact that, after all, there is but the very finest
line separating the higher forms of Mineral "life," from the lower forms
of vegetable life, or the life of those "Things" which we may call
either plants or animals. The "Life-line" is being pushed further back
every day, by scientific investigation, and the "living" thing of today
was the "inanimate" thing of yesterday. We hear much talk in the
newspapers about some scientist, or another, "discovering life," or
"creating life," in some "inanimate substance." Bless your hearts, you
who are alarmed by these reports--no one can "create" life in anything,
for it already exists there. The "discovery" is simply the realization
of this fact.
Science, by means of the microscope, has brought to light forms of
"living things," resembling in appearance the fine dust of inorganic
minerals. These low forms of life exhibit but the simplest vital
processes, the same very closely resembling chemical processes, although
just a shade higher in the scale. Living creatures have been found which
could be dried and laid aside like dust for several years, and then
revived by being immersed in water, when they would resume their vital
process as if they had been awakened from a sleep. Forms of life, called
"Baccilli" have been discovered that can pass through degrees of heat
and cold that can be expressed only by vague symbols or figures, the
heat and cold being so intense that the unscientific mind cannot imagine
it.
In appearance the "Diatoms" resemble the chemical crystals. These
"Diatoms" are minute one-celled living "Things," having a hard but thin
siliceous covering or shell, of extreme delicacy. They are what are
known as "microscopic" creatures--that is, visible only through the
microscope. Some of them are so small that it would take a thousand or
more to cover the head of a pin. But, remember this--the microscope
reveals them as "living creatures" performing vital functions. They are
found in the deep waters of the ocean. To the naked eye they appear
like fine sand or "dirt," but under the most powerful microscope, they
are seen to comprise many species and varieties, exhibiting many
peculiar shapes and forms--in fact, they have been called "living
geometrical forms," their shapes and appearances almost exactly
resembling those of the chemical and mineral crystals.
Science informs us that these and similar microscopic creatures, number
thousands of families or species,--and it is thought that the varieties
of microscopic creatures outnumber the varieties of creatures visible to
the unaided sight. And, remember, that there is probably a still greater
world of "sub-microscopic" creatures, that is a world invisible even
when the most powerful microscope is used. Who knows what wonders are to
be found there--what forms of creatures live, and move and have their
being there.
In passing by the subject of the resemblance between the outward forms
of living things and the crystals, it is interesting to note how the
crystals of frost and ice resemble the forms of leaves, branches,
flowers, foliage, etc.--the pane of glass covered with these frosty
forms, resembles a garden. The disk of saltpeter, under the effect of
polarized light, very closely resembles the form of the orchid.
Recent scientific experiments have shown that certain metallic salts,
when subjected to a galvanic current, group themselves around one of the
poles of the battery, and assume a mushroom-like shape and appearance.
At first, they seem to be transparent, but gradually they assume color,
the top becoming a bright red, with the under-side showing a pale rose
color, the stem being of a pale straw color. The discoverers of these
peculiar forms, called them by the German equivalent for "inorganic
mushrooms," but even this term seems scarcely worthy of them, for they
even show a trace of something like organs. Under the microscope they
are seen to have fine canals or vein-like channels running through their
stems, from top to base. And through these "veins" the "thing" absorbed
fresh material and actually "grew" like low forms of fungus-life. Were
these things merely minerals or chemical-substances, or were they low
forms of organic life? The lines between the Inorganic and the Organic
are being wiped out rapidly. The Supreme Power that _caused_ Life to Be,
caused it to All, and did not divide Its manifestations into Dead-Things
and Live-Things, but breathed into all the Breath of Life. And the more
clearly we see the actual evidence of this, the greater does that
Supreme Power seem to us.
A very low form of living creatures called the Monera, is held by
Science to be the one of the strands of the connecting link between the
organic and inorganic worlds. The Monera are the lowest and simplest
form (at least so far known) of organic life. They may be said to be
"organic" creatures _without organs_--being but little more than simple
cells--tiny globules of plasm, surrounded by a thin membrane--their sole
vital function being the absorption of nourishment through the pores of
their covering (just as a piece of chalk would absorb water) and the
consequent conversion of the nourishment into material for growth, the
whole process resembling chemical action. The Monera reproduce their
kind simply by cleavage or separation of the substance of the mother
cell into two, and so on, being little more than the "growth" of
crystals. The Monera are everywhere recognized, without question, as
"living creatures," but they exhibit merely a trace more of life than do
certain forms of crystals.
The difficulty in considering crystals as "living things" is partially
due to the outward form and substance, so different from the form and
substance of the higher "living things." But we have seen that the
Diatoms took on shapes of crystals, and that the outer shell or covering
was similar to silicia, a mineral, the inner substance being but a tiny
speck of plasm, similar to that of the substance of a plant cell. And
then we may look to the tiny bit of chalk dust which was once the
skeleton-form of a living creature. The same is true of coral. In the
very low forms of life, the skeleton, or form, is the thing most
apparent, the plasm of "living substance" being still smaller, and less
apparent. And yet, the skeleton, or shell, was formed by the vital
processes of the creature, and was a part of its "body," just as is the
skeleton or bony structure of the higher animals. And, in the same sense
it is "living substance." And, remember, that there is but little
difference between these "bodies" of the low forms of life, and the
bodies of crystals. And the chemical constituents of its plasmic inner
body is but slightly different from that of the crystals. And its nature
and vital process are by a shade higher in the scale than those of the
crystals.
You may ask why we have said so much of Crystals. The reason is just
this--Science has begun to think of Crystals as semi-living things, and
its most advanced investigators and thinkers go further and assert that
"the Crystals are alive--Crystallization is an evidence of life
process."
Crystals arrange themselves in well-known and well-defined shapes,
direction and order of formation being observed implicitly. Each crystal
follows the laws and habits of its kind, just as do plants and animals.
Its lines of crystallization are mathematically perfect, and according
to the laws of its being. Not only this, but some substances have a
range of six or seven different forms of crystal-forms possible to them.
In some cases a chemical element assumes one form of crystallization
when it manifests as one mineral, and a second form when it manifests in
another form--in each case however, it manifests along well-known and
recognized courses of action, movement, and shapes.
Crystals may be "killed" by a strong electrical discharge--that is, they
are so affected that they disintegrate, their atoms separating to form
new combinations, just as is the case with the "bodies" of higher forms
of life. Some scientists have gone so far as to claim that they had
discovered something akin to rudimentary sex-action in certain crystals,
resembling the sex-process of the lowest plant-life. But this has not,
as yet, been positively established, although it seems probable and
reasonable. A recent writer in one of the magazines has said,
"Crystallization, as we are to learn now, is not a mere mechanical
grouping of dead atoms. It is a birth." This may seem mere "scientific
poetry" until the process of crystallization is carefully studied, when
it will be seen to give evidence, not only of something like vital and
mental action, but also something very much like reproductive
functioning of the lower forms of "life."
There is an "assimilation" of material to build up the crystal in the
first place, just as an animal assimilates matter to build up its
shell--or a tree to form its bark. The "form" of the crystal is truly
its "body," and behind and _in that body there is "something at work"
that is not the body, but which is forming it_. And, later on, that
crystal increases in size, and then begins to separate into two,
throwing off a smaller crystal, identical in form with the parent
crystal. This manner of reproduction is almost identical with the
process of reproduction in the lower forms of "life," which consist
merely of a like separation of the parent form into two, and the
throwing off of the offspring.
The principal difference between the growth of crystals and of the
Monera, is that the Crystals grow by absorbing fresh matter and
attaching it to their outer surface, while the Monera grow by absorbing
fresh material and growing outwardly, from within. But this may be
accounted for by the difference in the density of their bodies, the
Crystal being very solid, while the Monera is like a thin jelly. If the
Crystal had a soft interior, it could grow like the Monera or Diatom,
_but then it would be a Diatom_.
The process of crystallization is accountable only by the theory that in
the crystal there exists something like life and Mentation. There is
something more than mere "mechanical motion," or blind chance at work
here. Does not the process of crystallization look like rudimentary
purposive action? It may be said that it is movement and action in
accordance with some established "Law of Nature"--granted, but is not
that also true of the physical processes and growth of higher forms of
life? Is the forming of the Crystal-form to be considered as a
"mechanical effect," and the forming of the "shell" of the Monera to be
considered a "mental and vital action?" If so, wherefore?
The point is that Crystals act as if they are "alive," and capable of
assimilation, growth, and reproduction, in a manner and degree
differing but very slightly from corresponding functioning of the lower
forms of "life." Verily the Crystals are "alive"--and if alive they must
have at least a trace of "Mind." Does it not appear that they exhibit
something very like both? Quoting from a recent writer, let us notice
that: "Recent investigations in the new department of science, which has
been termed 'plasmology,' show in crystals phenomena which are
absolutely analogous to vital phenomena--so much so that photographs of
certain forms produced in the changes of crystals appear to be almost
exact duplicates of those in the various lower forms of microbes. The
question has been raised as to whether the microbe is no more alive than
the crystal, or the latter equally endowed with life as is the former."
And now another step, in our search for Life. Remember, that the hardest
rocks are composed of crystals of certain kinds. And, if the higher
crystals have Life, then it is only fair to suppose that the lower and
cruder forms are likewise endowed, even if in a still lower degree. And
if all crystals are endowed with Life, then the most solid rocks, being
composed of aggregations of crystals must be masses of Inorganic
Life--and consequently, of Inorganic Mind. A Crystal, according to
Webster, is "the regular form, bounded by plane surfaces, which a
substance tends to assume in solidifying, through the inherent powers of
cohesive attraction."
That definition of Webster tells the whole story, and we see that a
"Crystal" is merely a "regular form" of a "Substance," which the
substance "tends to assume in solidifying"--that is in re-assuming a
solid form after being in a liquid or melted state, and that is just
what all the rocks of the earth did when they emerged from the melted
state in which they existed in the early days of the world's history.
And this "tendency" that caused them to solidify, and assume certain
crystal forms, and which must have existed potentially through the
melted state--what of that, what is this "tendency" or force. The
definition answers: "_the inherent powers of cohesive attraction_."
So, here is "Cohesive Attraction," that we shall consider fully in
forthcoming chapters of this book. "Inherent," too, the definition says.
What is "Inherent?" Let us see, Webster defines "Inherent" as
"permanently existing." So this power of Cohesive Attraction
"permanently existed" in the Substance or else in connection with it.
Let us take another look at Cohesive Attraction.
Cohesive Attraction is that form of Universal Attraction that causes the
Molecules of a body to draw together--that "invisible power of" the
Molecule, by which it draws another Molecule toward itself, and itself
toward the other, the manifestation of which power by several Molecules
tends to draw each of them together. (We shall learn of these particles
of Substance called Molecules before long.) It is a primal cause of
Motion, this mutual Attraction, and drawing-power. Now is it reasonable
to suppose that this wonderful "power" is a mere blind-force? Is it not
more reasonable to think of it as a form of vital-action--life-action?
"Dead" things could not manifest this force and action.
And if this Cohesive Attraction is an evidence of Life, then all
substance must have Life manifesting through it. Not only the rocks, but
the soil and earth and dirt, for they are but crumbled rock.
And, when we thus consider Substance, as being the "body" through which
Life is Manifesting, we must not lose sight of the Molecules and Atoms,
in our consideration of the Mass. A bit of rock; crystal; or dirt; is
but an aggregation of countless Molecules, grouped together in certain
crystallized shapes and forms, each having characteristics of its own.
These Molecules cling together, in accordance with their mutual
Attractive powers.
And each of these Molecules is composed of a number of Atoms, which
cling together in accordance with Chemical Affinity, or Chemism--but
which is but another name for Attraction, or Cohesion--and which form a
little family, called a Molecule. And these Atoms are composed of
Corpuscles. We will waive the consideration of the Corpuscle, for the
moment, but even if we consider it, we only carry the subject back a
step farther. What we wish to say, could be said even if there were ten
further divisions of Substance--or a million, for that matter.
The point we wish you to consider now, is that we must separate the Mass
into its constituents--its Molecules, Atoms, and even Corpuscles--in our
search for the Life in the Mineral and Chemical World. If there is Life
in the Mass, there must be life in the Molecule, Atom, or Corpuscle.
Now, do we find it there? Certainly, for the tiniest Atom manifests its
Attractive Power, and not only does it draw other atoms to itself by
virtue thereof, but it even goes a step further, and shows a
"preference"--a degree of "liking" in its mutual relations with other
atoms.
We shall see, in future chapters, that there is "desire," "love,"
"marriage," and "divorce" among the chemical Atoms. We shall consider
the flirtations, and love-affairs of certain Atoms. We shall see how an
Atom will leave another, and fly to a new charmer. We shall have many
evidences of _the Atom's power to receive sensations, and to respond to
the same_. Nothing "dead" about this, is there? The Atom is "very much
alive." The Attraction; Affinity; and Motions, of the Atom, give a
certain evidence of something "very much like Life," as we see it in
higher forms. In the Atom exists all the Life that causes
crystallization. And in the Atom lies that which causes Force and Motion
to manifest. Verily, the Atom lives and moves and has its being.
And, so our journey is ended--we have traced Life to its last stages of
manifestations--and we have found it there, and at each step of the
journey. But, stop, we have not completed our journey--we have but begun
it. "Why," some of us may cry, "how can we go back of the Atom, or
Electron?" The answer is "INTO THE ETHER"!
Yes, back of the Atom and the Corpuscle, is said by Science to lie that
wonderful, paradoxical Something they call The Universal Ether--that
Something that Science has considered the Womb of Matter and
Force--Something that is different from Anything ever known or dreamed
of by Man,--that Something which Science has labored so diligently to
build up, and which it has used as an "explanation" for so much
phenomena, but regarding which, of very recent date, there has begun to
grow a distrust and a suspicion, owing to the discovery of Radiant
Matter, and things that followed in its train. But, notwithstanding
these shadowy suspicions, Science still asserts in belief in the
constancy and integrity of The Ether, and it behooves us to investigate
that wonderful region in which it dwells, in order to see whether Life
and Mind are also to be found there. We think that, in the words of the
street, we shall find that they are "very much there."
And, so in later chapters of this book, we shall consider the Etherial
Region very fully. But before doing so, we had better give Substance and
Motion, in all their forms, a careful consideration, for a correct
understanding of them is vitally necessary for an intelligent conception
of the ideas underlying the philosophy to be herein set forth.
* * * * *
Now, pray do not leave this chapter with the belief that the writer has
said that the Particles of Inorganic Substance are endowed with
Conscious reasoning powers. Nothing of the kind has been said--nothing
of the kind is meant. The Life and Mind evidenced in the Particles are
but the faintest glimmerings. There is no sign of "consciousness" or
"reasoning"--the Mind exhibited is less than that of the plant, yes,
less than even that of the cell of the plant. The Life is evidenced by
power to move, and the Mind is evidenced by the ability to receive
impressions and to respond to the same by evidencing Force and movement.
There is no evidence of "consciousness" or "understanding" in these
mental processes. Consciousness is not an essential attribute of Life or
Mind-action. In fact, but a small part of even the Mentation of Man is
performed in the field of consciousness. Nearly all of his bodily
functions are beneath the field of consciousness--one does not
consciously regulate the beating of his heart; the circulation of his
blood; the digestion and assimilation of his food; the tearing-down and
building-up work of the cells; the work of the organs, etc., etc. Yes,
these processes are all mental processes, and far from mere "mechanical
movements," or chemical processes, as some imagine. Let the spark of
Life leave the body, and the processes stop, although all the chemicals
are still there, and the "mechanical movements" might go on unhindered.
The Particles of Substance have enough Life and Mind to enable them to
move, receive and respond to impressions, and to exert force in
accordance with the Law of Attraction--but there it stops. The Crystals
show signs of something like taking nourishment, but the real taking of
food may be said to commence with the Monera. Not until very high
degrees of Life and Mind are attained, do "creatures" begin to exhibit
Consciousness, and that which is called "Understanding" is still higher
in the scale, and not until Man is reached does the faculty of turning
the mental searchlight _inward_ manifest itself. These matters are
mentioned here merely to prevent misunderstanding and misapprehension.
But still, do not forget--the Particles of Substance receive impressions
and respond thereto--they _act_ and exert Force and Energy--they
manifest Life and Mentation.