THE SECRET DOCTRINE OF THE ROSICRUCIANS/PART 7
PART
VII
THE
PLANES OF CONSCIOUSNESS
In
the Secret Doctrine of the Rosicrucians,
we find the
following Sixth Aphorism:
The Sixth
Aphorism VI.
As Life is
the Essence of
Spirit, so is
Consciousness the Essence of Life. Spirit is One,
yet it manifests
in many forms of
Life. Life is
One, yet it manifests
in many forms of Consciousness. While the forms of
manifested Consciousness are
innumerable, yet the wise know
Consciousness to manifest
on Seven Planes: and
these Planes of
Consciousness are known
to the wise
as (1) The
Plane of the
Elements; (2) The
Plane of the Minerals;
(3) The Plane
of the Plants;
(4) The Plane
of the Animals;
(5) The Plane
of the Human;
(6) The Plane of
the Demi-Gods; (7)
The Plane of
the Gods.
In this
Sixth Aphorism of
Creation, the Rosicrucian
is directed to
apply his attention
to the concept
of Life-Consciousness manifesting
on its seven
planes. This concept
is represented by
the Rosicrucians by
means of the symbol
of a linked
chain of seven
circles, each link
penetrating the one
on either side of it.
The Sixth Aphorism
wisely states that
"Life is the
Essence of Spirit."
No matter what
else Spirit may
be, or may not
be, it cannot
be denied that
Spirit must possess
the attribute of
Life, in order
to be Spirit. Likewise, the Aphorism states: "Consciousness is
the Essence of
Life," which is
also self-evident; for no
matter what else
Life may be,
or may not be, it
cannot be denied
that Life must
possess the attribute
of Life.
A modern writer
has well said
that "Mind is
the Livingness of
Life," and, of
course, Mind is
naught but a term employed to
indicate "states of
consciousness."
Even the
average person implicitly
testifies to the
fact of the necessary
presence of Consciousness
in Life by
his distinctions between
the various forms of living things. The higher the
manifestation of Consciousness in
a living thing,
the higher the
degree of "Life" he attributes to it; and when the indications
of Consciousness are lacking, he
pronounces the thing "lifeless." The proof of conscious activity among
mineral forms at
once leads to the thought that
"then minerals must be alive."
Consciousness, in its
essence, manifests as
"the attribute of
receiving impressions from outside
stimuli, and the
power to respond
thereto;" and the
student will at
once recognize this attribute as
the fundamental test
of living substance.
Just as
the Rosicrucians hold
as a fundamental
doctrine the teaching
that "Everything is
Alive" (see preceding chapter), so do they hold as
equally fundamental the teaching that
"Everything is Conscious."
But, here is where half-knowledge is
apt to fall
into a trap, and
to attribute to
the Rosicrucian beliefs
quite foreign to
them. For in the Rosicrucian teachings (and in the most advanced
modern psychology, as
well) the term "consciousness" is not
restricted to those phases of
consciousness most familiar to us, but, rather,
to all forms
of "awareness," whether higher or lower than the "consciousness" of our everyday
lives.
The term
"Consciousness" is one
most difficult to
define adequately; and
this quite naturally,
for Consciousness can be defined and described only in the terms of
its own experiences—there is
no other term
analogous to it which
would serve to
indicate it to
one who had
not experienced consciousness. The
word which probably
best expresses the general
idea is the
term "awareness."
The Rosicrucian
teachings hold that
Consciousness manifests on
Seven Planes, each
of which planes
is interlinked with and
blends into the
one on either
side of it (see figure
illustrating the symbol).
But each plane
is composed of seven
sub-planes, and each
sub-plane of seven
minor planes, and
so on until
the multiplication is made
seven times. Each
of the Seven
Planes of Consciousness
is named in
the following synopsis of
the teaching, and
the main characteristics of
each plane is
given.
I. The
Plane of the
Elements
On
this Plane of
Consciousness is manifested
the actions and
reactions between the
subtle elements of
which all material forms are
composed. Here occurs the play
between the atoms,
the electrons, the
ions, the corpuscles,
and the still more
tenuous particles of substance of which science has as yet no
knowledge. And, going
still further back, it
may be said
that on this
plane occurs the
play of phases
of substance as
much more tenuous
and subtle than the
electrons as the
latter are more
tenuous than the
atoms. Little can
be said concerning
these practically unknown forms
and phases of
matter, although the
occult teachings are
quite full of
them.
In
previous quotations from Haeckel, and other modern scientists, we have seen
that advanced modern science recognizes the presence of "something like
consciousness" in the
atoms of matter,
and 'ascribes their
movements to "likes and
dislikes," "loves and
hates," arising from the perception of certain qualities
in each other,
and the response thereto:
this means, of
course, that the
atoms possess and manifest
"feeling" and
"will" in an
elementary form, phase, and
degree. There are results arising from these manifestations of consciousness
on the part
of the atoms, however,
which are not
usually taken notice
of by writers
of the subject,
either in the
ranks of the occultists, or
those of science.
Let us now
consider these, briefly.
Science informs
us that all
forms of physical
energy or force, manifesting as
light, heat, electricity, magnetism,
etc., arise from vibrations
of the particles of
which matter is
composed. These vibrations
are, of course,
caused by the
motion of the
particles; and these motions
are caused by the manifestation
of attraction or
repulsion between the
particles. Proceeding further, we see that the manifestation of
attraction and repulsion between
the particles of
matter arise from
the "likes and dislikes," the
"loves and hates"
of the atoms
and particles—and that
these, in turn
are but manifestations of elemental
consciousness. So we see, here, that even the manifestation of physical energy and force is
but the accompaniment and result of the presence and activity
of elemental consciousness.
On
this plane of
consciousness are operated
many of those
forms of "magic" known
to all occultists.
The occultist moves Matter
not by exerting
a physical force
upon it by
means of his
mind and will,
but, instead, by acting upon the
consciousness of the
material atoms by
the power of
his own consciousness! This
is no place,
of course, to go
into detail concerning
this phase of
occultism, but it
has been thought
well to indicate
here the source
and nature of the
power underlying occult
phenomena of this
kind, and the
"why and wherefore" of
its manifestation.
The Plane
of Elemental Consciousness, like
all the great
Planes of Consciousness, contains
seven sub-planes, and each
of these seven minor planes, and so on
until the multiplication has
been made seven
times. The sub-plane
we have just briefly
considered is but
one of the
seven, and the
remaining six are
equally important. In
these unmentioned subplanes there are
manifestations utterly unknown
to modern science
and to the
uninformed person, but of which
the occult masters have made a
careful and thorough
study.
II. The
Plane of the
Minerals
On
this Plane of
Consciousness are manifested
the actions and
reactions of the
molecules of which
the minerals are composed,
and of
the masses of
mineral matter as
well. Just as
the atoms of
matter manifest attraction and repulsion, arising from
"like and dislike" of
consciousness, so do
the molecules of
matter manifest a
similar "like and dislike," resulting
in the attraction
and repulsion between
molecules and masses
of matter. The
molecules or particles of
which a piece
of steel, for
instance, is composed,
hold together by
reason of the
attractive power of "cohesion," and not because they
are "fastened together" by
any mechanical means
employed by nature.
In the same way,
gravitation manifests its
attractive force.
Moreover, on
some of the
higher minor planes
of this Plane
of the Minerals,
there is manifested
the crystallization of the
mineral particles according
to a definite
principle of design
embedded in the
consciousness of its
particles. The crystal is
built upon a
definite plane, just
as truly as
is the acorn
or the oak—and
in all of
these cases the pattern
is but an
"idea" in the
consciousness of the
combined particles. The
Universal Builder works
through the consciousness of
the mineral particles
just as truly
and as wonderfully
as through the
particles of humanity
which we call individual
men. The study of crystals,
and their formation
will open up
a new world
of thought to the
average person, and
will give him
a peep into
the workshop of
the Universal Builder in
which he will
see things heretofore
unsuspected and undreamt.
The
common opinion is that crystals are
formed by mechanical
causes, such as
outside pressure, etc.,
but the careful student
of science, as
well as the
occultist, knows that
the formation of
a crystal is
a growth, and
is as much the
result of stored-up
psychical ideas in
the particles, as
is the growth
of plant substance
or animal bodies. The
student of crystallography soon becomes convinced of the
presence of Life and Consciousness in the world of crystals.
In
the contemplation of the Plane of Mineral
Consciousness, the student must
remember that there
are forms of minerals
far more gross
than those visible
to us on
this earth; and
also, that there
are forms and phases of
mineral life far finer
and higher than
those with which
we are familiar
here. The occult
teachings contain some
very interesting information
concerning (these to us) unknown mineral forms and manifestation.
It may be mentioned here that
the ancient alchemists
(and some of
the true modern
alchemists) have found
in the fact of
mineral consciousness the
missing-link of their
science. The occultist
having a comprehensive understanding of
the consciousness of
a metal or
mineral will be
able to work
transformations upon and through it which would be impossible
by means of
chemistry or mechanical
methods of treating
metals. Here again,
is given a passing
hint regarding a subject
of tremendous importance.
III. The
Plane of the
Plants
On
this plane of
Consciousness are manifested
the actions and
reactions of the
protoplasmic cells of which the
plants are composed.
And on this
plane, as all the
other planes of
Consciousness, there are
to be found high and low sub-planes and
subdivisions of the
latter.
At the
lower pole of
this plane we
find plant-life which
is scarcely distinguishable
from the
higher forms of mineral
life—in fact, as
we have seen
previously, it is
almost impossible to
draw a fixed
line separating the
two great plane-divisions, for
all planes blend
into each other
and are linked
one with the
other on the
lower and higher poles
of their activity.
We have mentioned
the Diatoms, or "living
crystals" which the best
authorities regard as the
"missing link" between
the two great
kingdoms of Life
and Consciousness, but
which really are plants
rather than minerals.
The Diatoms belong
to an order
of flowerless plants,
a genus of the Algols.
They are covered by a siliceous
covering which gives them a crystalline appearance. They present the appearance
of crystalline fragmentary particles,
generally bounded by
right lines, flat,
stiff and brittle,
usually nestling in
slime in which they unite into various forms
and combinations, and
from which they
often again separate.
They multiply and reproduce themselves
by division and
conjugation.
In
1886, Professor Van Schrom, of Naples, Italy, was experimenting
with the bacilli
of the Asiatic
cholera, and was examining
the same under
his high-power microscope.
He was attracted
by the formation
of double pyramids of
bacilli in the
shape and general
appearance of true
crystals. These "living crystals" manifested growth
and movement, and seemed
to be alive
and conscious. From
these experiments he
arrived at the
conclusions that all bacteria
produce living crystals, and
his continued experiments seemed to verify his
contention. These
bacteria-crystals are composed of homogeneous albuminous matter, which at first
is colorless and
structureless, and which
at a certain
stage of their
life history seem
to lose their
life qualities and to
become, to all
intents and purposes,
"dead" crystals. These
living crystals seem
to be impelled
by some inherent force
akin to vital
action to assume
a geometrical figure. And while possessing these indications
of elementary vegetable life
they also exhibit
the characteristic qualities of
crystals, viz., refraction, inclusion,
absorption, and polarization. Later investigations have
revealed the presence
of similar living
crystals in the secretions of
living organisms.
That Life
is present in
plant-life scarcely anyone
is disposed to
question, though there
seems to be
a desire to deny
Consciousness and intelligent
activity in the
case on the
part of the
orthodox scientist. But
the more advanced
of the workers in the ranks
of modern science
do not hesitate
to positively assert
the presence of
conscious intelligent
activity in plant-life, and vigorously
support their contention
by logical argument
backed up by incontrovertible facts
gleaned in their
laboratory experiments. These scientists hold that
the presence of the
phenomena of nutrition, reproduction,
and of physical and chemical change
due to adaptation
is proof positive
of the presence of vital intelligence within the organism
in which the
former are manifested.
Professor
Bieser says: "Adaptation, after all, is the best
evidence of the
presence of intelligence
or life in
forms or units of
matter. Adaptation, also
called 'physiological
adaptation,' but best called
'psychological adaptation,' is the
one weapon by
which living organisms
fight against the
destructive forces of conditions
of nature. In all its
forms, adaptation is the more
or less successful
co-operation of living organisms with
the laws of
nature—it is not
the disregard of
natural laws. In
taking adaptation as
our criterion by which
the presence of
intelligence is determined,
we find no
difficulty in settling
the question of the presence of life. The most
perfect automatic machinery
has no life,
because it cannot
adapt itself in
the least to
the changing environmental conditions
and thus save
itself from annihilation, when necessity arises, by the performance
of simple intelligent acts."
In their
consideration of the
question of the
presence of consciousness
in the kingdom
of plant-life, the writers divide
the manifestations of intelligence into
three classes, namely:
Trophoses, or acts
pertaining to nutrition; Neuroses, or
acts pertaining to the nervous
system; and Psychoses,
or acts pertaining
to thought processes.
The
manifestation of Trophoses, or acts pertaining
to nutrition, is
apparent even in
the case of
the lowest forms
of plant-life. Even the
lowliest vegetable cell
takes nourishment and
replaces the waste
products of its
system by fresh material
taken into its
system. These activities
require a very
simple nervous system,
often practically no nervous
system at all.
But, nevertheless, in every act
of nutrition there
is manifested not
only the presence
of Life, but also
conscious activity of
a certain degree.
Even the lowest
forms of plants
are able to
distinguish perfectly between
nutritive and non-nutritive
particles of matter.
Most plants possess
no nervous system,
at least none
yet discovered by science,
but, nevertheless, they manifest
characteristic Trophoses corresponding in
degree with their necessities,
but seldom exceeding
those necessities.
Other
plants, however, have a
comparatively highly developed nervous system, or something
corresponding to it, and manifest
Neuroses, or acts pertaining to the nervous system, of a comparatively high degree. This is true of the
"sensitive
plants," and certain other
plants of a high development in this
direction. Some of the orchids,
and a few other plants,
manifest Neuroses indicating
clearly the presence
of consciousness and
a degree of
intelligent activity.
Still higher
in the scale
we find certain
species of plants
manifesting true Psychoses,
or acts pertaining
to thought processes, although
the latter are
of a comparatively
low order as
compared to those
manifested by the higher
forms of animal
life. With this
class of manifestation
the average student
is not so
well informed, and, therefore, it
has been thought
well to direct your
attention in the following
pages to these
fascinating phenomena of plant-life.
We think that a
careful consideration of the facts now
about to be
presented to the
student will bring to
him a clear
realization of the
presence of actual
conscious activity in
the kingdom of
the plants, and
will cause him to
accept the statement
of that eminent
authority, Professor Bieser,
who has said:
"While we believe
that the intelligence of
man, animals and
plants is essentially
the same in
kind, we know
that it differs
enormously in degree and
form. Even among
men this degree
of intelligence varies,
but this is
because some individuals
by nature see but
a little more
clearly their needs than others, and live under more favorable circumstances—that is all!"
Dr. J.
E. Taylor, an
authority on the subject of
plant-psychology says: "Perhaps one
reason why plants are usually denied consciousness and intelligence is because
in the structure of even the highest
developed species we
find no specialized
nervous track along
which sensations may travel,
or where they
can be registered
as in the
case of the
ganglia and brains
of the higher animals. But
it should be
remembered that none
of the creatures
sub-kingdom of the
Protozoa (the lowest
of the grand divisions
of the animal
kingdom) possess nervous
structures, whilst many
of the next
more highly organized animal
sub-kingdom, the Coelenterata, have no
trace, and the
rest but a
feeble development. Yet we do not
deny these lowly organized
animals a dim and diffused
consciousness, or even
the possibility of
their structures being so
modified that they
can profit by
experience, and thus develop that
accumulated experience of their
kind that we
call 'instinct.'"
Darwin, speaking
of the wonderful
sensitiveness of the root-tip of plants says: "It is
hardly an exaggeration
to say that the
tip of the
radicle thus endowed,
and having the
power of directing
the movements of the adjoining
parts, acts like the
brain of one
of the lower
animals; the brain
being seated within
the anterior end
of the body, receiving impressions
from the sense organs, and
directing the general movements."
Professor Cope says: "We can
understand how by
parasitism, or other
means of getting
a livelihood without
exertion, the adoption
of new and skillful
movements would become unnecessary, and consciousness itself
would be
seldom aroused.
Continued
repose would be followed by sub-consciousness,
and later by
unconsciousness. Such appears to
be the history
of the entire
vegetable kingdom."
Dr. J.
C. Arthur, in
his interesting work
entitled "The Sagacity
and Morality of
Plants," says: "I
have tried to
show that all organisms, even to the very
simplest, whether plant
or animal, from the very nature of life and the struggle
for its
maintenance, must be
endowed with conscious
feeling, pleasure and
pain being its
simplest expression. I have
been told in
Java, as one
walks through a
tangle of sensitive
plants, they will
drop down in their deprecating way for
yards on either
side, as if
suddenly aroused into life, only to be again transformed
into lifeless sticks
by some unseen power.
* * *
The physical basis of life, Protoplasm,
is the same
for plants as for animals.
The first differentiated or
modified form of
this we meet
is the curious animalcule called
Amoeba. As we watch its movements
we cannot refrain
from ascribing to
it some dim
consciousness of the
life it leads.
But amoeboid structure is
common even in the lowest
kinds of plants,
and amoeboid movements
can be seen
in some of its
tissues. Witness also
the habits and
intelligent movements of
the zoospores of
sea-weed and many
other Algae, and the
locomotion of the
antherozoa of mosses,
ferns, etc. Not
many years ago
these objects were
classed as animals, and
nobody doubted these
so-called animals behaved
consciously and intelligently. *
* * Nothing
can be more marked
than the likes
and dislikes of
plants. Human beings
can hardly express
the same feelings
more decidedly. There is perhaps even a 'mess-mateship' among
plants, which inclines
species to prefer
to grow in company.
Hosts of common
plants perform actions
which, if they
were done by
human beings, would at
once be brought
into the category
of right and
wrong. There is
hardly a virtue
or a vice
which has not its
counterpart in the
actions of the
vegetable kingdom. As
regards conduct in
this respect, there
is small difference between
the lower animals
and plants."
One
of the most elementary manifestations of
consciousness, and conscious
action, in plant
life is what
has been called "the gravity sense," or the sense
by which the
plant recognizes the "up
and down" direction
of growth. The germinating seed
always sends its
roots downward, no
matter how the
seed may be placed in
the ground. This cannot
be held to
result merely from
the action of
gravitation, for the
sprouts move upward
and away from
the centre of gravity
just as truly
as the roots
move downward and
toward it. Experiments
have proven that
this "sense of direction" is
as much a
true sense as
that of any
of the special
senses of the
lowly animal life-forms.
The experiment has been
tried of turning
around a sprouting
seed, the result
being that in
a day or so the
roots will be again
found to be
turning downward and
the sprouts turning
upward. A French
botanist, named Duhamel,
once placed some beans
in a cylinder
filled with moist
earth. After they
had begun to
sprout, he turned
the cylinder a little
to one side.
The next day
he turned it
a little further
in the same
direction. Each day he would
turn it a
little more, until finally
it had described
several full circles.
Then he took
out the plant,
and shaking off
the clinging earth, he
found that the beans’ roots and
sprouts had described
circles—two perfectly formed
spirals being shown, one
of the tiny
roots and the
other of the
tiny sprouts. The
roots in their
constant endeavor to move
downward had formed one
perfect spiral, while
the sprouts in
the constant effort
to rise upward
had described another
perfect spiral. No amount of
effort will cause
the roots of
a plant to
grow upward, or
its sprouts to
grow downward. Each, root
and sprout, has
its own "sense
of direction" to which
it faithfully and
invariably responds. In
the same way, and
from a similar
cause, the tendrils
of climbing plants will
faithfully move toward the nearby support,
and if they are untwined
they will return
during the next
night to the old support, if
possible. Moving pictures, carefully prepared, and taken over a long period,
show that the movements of
these tendrils to
be akin to
the movements of the limbs of an
animal—the feelers and
graspers of the
octopus for example.
Not
only have the roots of plants the general "sense of direction" which
causes them to
grow downward in
spite of all attempts
to prevent them,
but they have
also the "sense
of moisture," which
causes them to
seek the direction of
water. Many plants
also turn their
leaves and blossoms
to the light,
no matter how
often they are
turned in the opposite
direction. Potatoes in
dark cellars will
often send forth
their sprouts twenty
or thirty feet in the
direction of light which
shows through a
tiny crack in
the wall. Likewise,
plants possess the
"sense of taste"
to a very
high degree in some
cases. By means
of this sense
they are able to detect
differences in substances, and
to choose those substances which are conducive to their nutrition. They
are able to distinguish between
poor and rich
soil, and also between
different chemicals of
differing nutritive values.
They always move
their roots in
the direction of the
best food supply,
and also toward
moisture. Not only
do the roots
of plants move in the direction of
water, but instances
have been cited
in which the
leaves of plants
will bend over
during the night
and dip themselves in
a vessel of
water several inches
away. Insect-eating plants recognize the
difference between living animal
substance and bits
of inorganic matter
or vegetable substance, casting off the latter two as if in disgust.
Experiments have been
made of placing
a bit of
cheese in the
reach of such
plants, when, though
cheese is of course
unfamiliar to them,
they will seem
to recognize its
nitrogenous nature and
will devour it as readily
as they will a
piece of flesh
or the body
of an insect.
Many students
are doubtless familiar
with the instance
of the "sensitive plants"
which exhibit a
marked degree of sensibility to
touch. Many insect-eating plants
manifest an equally
high degree of
sensitiveness, though of course in a different direction.
The leaves of
the Venus' Fly
Trap fold upon
each other and
thus capture the
unfortunate insect which has
been tempted into
the trap by
the sweet juice
which appears upon
the leaf as
a dainty bait.
The folding of the
leaves follows the
alarm given by
the three sensitive
bristles or hairs
which act as
feelers which sense the
presence of the insects. Bits
of earth, or
raindrops, are recognized
as "not-food" by
these feelers, and no
closing of leaves
result from their
presence on the
leaves. Other plants
are very sensitive
to degrees of
light, and they close
at certain hours,
the time varying
according to the
species of the
plant. It was
formerly held that
this sensitiveness to light
was merely a
chemical response to
the presence of
light, but recent
experiments have shown that
such plants, when
placed in a
dark room, will
continue this closing
for several days,
in a gradually
lessening degree, thus indicating the presence of a
"habit" within their
consciousness, which "habit" indicates
the presence of
"mind" even more forcibly
than does the
closing itself. Certain
ferns will wither
if their fronds
are touched too
often.
In the
case of seeds,
the presence of
consciousness and mental
operations are manifested.
Not only in
the process of sprouting,
but also in
other processes, does
the seed show
signs of life
and mind. Certain
seeds are carried
to their future abode
by means of
running streams along
which they work
their way to
congenial soil by
means of tiny projecting
filaments which they
move as legs,
and thus propel
themselves to shore.
A botanist has
said regarding a certain
species of these
"swimming seeds:" "So
curiously lifelike are
their movements that
it is almost impossible to
believe that these
tiny objects, make
good progress through
the water, are
really seeds and
not insects."
Certain plants
prey upon other
plants, twining bands
around another plant
or tree, which
bands work their
way through the outer
covering of the
bark and thus
act as suckers
through which the
parasitic plant draws nourishment from
the larger plant,
the latter succumbing
in time and
being literally killed
for food by
the clinging plant. In
South America there
are varieties of
these climbers which
will mount to
the top of
a tall tree
in this way, and
after killing their
support they will
wave long tendrils
in the breeze
until they fasten
hold of another
tree which in turn
is depleted of
its vitality and
nourishment, and so
on until the
parasite is surrounded
by a large circle
of ruined victims.
Other parasites content
themselves with boring
into a tree
trunk and then
absorbing enough of the
sap of the
latter to enable
them to live
without other work
on their own part. In some
species, the habit
of parasitism is
known to have
been acquired during
the history of
the plant, just as
some animals (and
human beings) have
acquired similar habits.
Other plants
prey upon animals,
and are equipped
with mental faculties enabling them to efficiently
capture their prey. We
have typical illustrations
of the adaptation
of means to
end in the
case of the
insect-eating plants previously referred
to, but there
are certain forms
of plant-life which
trap and devour
much large animals;
which forms are found
principally in tropical
countries. Dunstan, the
naturalist, reported finding
on the banks
of Lake Nicaragua a
particularly vicious plant
of this class
which by the
natives is called
the Devil's Noose.
This bush-like plant is
equipped with long
tendrils, or whip-like
feelers, flexible, strong,
black, polished, and
without leaves, which secrete a
viscid fluid. These tendrils are
employed by the
plant to entangle
small animals passing
under its bush, and
to then drain
their blood and
absorb their flesh.
The naturalist one
day passing along
the banks of
this lake was aroused
by the shrieks
and cries of
his small dog.
Pushing forward through
the underbrush he found the little
animal tightly enmeshed
in a number
of these black,
slimy, bandlike tendrils
which were cutting
into its flesh by
chafing and rubbing, the
bleeding-point have been reached in
a number of
places. He found
that these bands were
the tendrils or branches of this particularly carnivorous
plant, which he described as
virtually "a land octopus." The
natives of the
tropics have weird
legends of man-eating
plants or trees
of this kind,
but so far science
has not discovered
an actual specimen
of this kind,
though it is
admitted that the
same is not
beyond the bounds of
possibility.
Other
plants have roots which capture and
kill small burrowing
animals like moles,
and then slowly absorb
the nourishment from
their blood and
flesh. The plant
kingdom has its
Thugs and stranglers,
as well as its
vampires, according to the best
authorities.
Professor
Bieser says: "Another plant showing
irritability when touched,
and possessing the
faculty of finding
and raising water by
means of a
long, slender, flat
stem or tube,
is a variety of orchid discovered by E.
A. Suverkrop, of Philadelphia,
several years ago.
This plant grows
upon the trunks
of trees hanging
over swampy places
along the bank of
the Rio de
la Plata and
streams of the
neighborhood. When this orchid is
in want of
water, the slender stem
gradually unwinds until
it dips into
the water. Then
the stem slowly
coils around and
winds up to
discharge upon the part
of the plant
from which the
roots spring the
water which it
has sucked up
into its hollow
space or tube within
its interior. Sometimes
when water is
absent from directly
under this plant,
the stem moves
first in this direction and
then in another,
in its search
for water, and
finally finding the
water it performs
the process above described. If
this plant is
touched while the
stem is extended
it acts much
like the sensitive
plant (mimosa), and the
stem coils up
into a spiral
more rapidly than
when it is
lifting water."
The experiments
of that wizard
of plant-life, Luther
Burbank, give us
many illustrations of
the manner in
which the "mind" in the plant
will respond to
changed environment, and
to take advantage of improved
conditions thereof in the
direction of adapting
itself thereto. No
one can study
the works of
modern botanists, or work long among plants, without discovering
for himself many
facts serving to
prove that there
is not only
Life among the
plants, but also sufficient mind
to serve the
purposes and needs
of the existence
of the plant.
Some scientists have
thought it possible that
by changing the
environment of the
plant sufficiently, in
the direction of
calling out latent possibilities of
mental action, it
is probable that
plants may be
evolved which would
approach in their
mental activity that of
the lower forms
of animal life,
if not indeed
exceed the latter.
IV. The
Plane of the
Animals
Here, once
more, we discover
that there is
no fixed dividing
line between the
adjoining Planes of
Consciousness. Just as the
Mineral Consciousness is
closely blended into the Plant
Consciousness, as we have
seen, so is the
Plant Consciousness closely
blended into the
Animal Consciousness. In
fact, in the
lowly forms of
animal life it is
almost impossible, at
times, to state
positively whether the particular form under consideration
is a plant
or an animal. Forms
which science formerly
considered
"animal" are now
placed in the
category of "plant-life;" and other
forms which science
once held to
belong to the
plant-kingdom are now
placed in the
category of animal-life. The occultist
recognized that these
disputed forms dwell
in the region
in which the
two respective planes
blend and intermingle as
has been stated
before in these
pages.
Consciousness
in animal-life varies from the first faint
glimmerings in the
single-cell creatures in
the slime of the
ocean bed to
the full dawn
in the highest
forms of animal-life
like the horse,
the dog, the
elephant, etc. In
each and every case,
however, it will
be found that
each creature is
endowed with a
sufficient degree of intelligence
to meet its
needs and requirements—to adapt
it to its
environment. As the
environment increases in complexity,
the form of animal life has
either adapted its consciousness to meet the
requirements, or else has
perished in the
course of evolution.
Both science,
and the occult
teachings, inform us
that animal life
had its origin in
the slime of the primeval ocean
beds, and took
the form of
the "single cell"
creatures. The best
known form of
single-cell animal is
the Moneron (plural,
monera), which is
composed of but
a single cell,
and is like
a tiny drop of glue. It belongs to the lowest class
of animal-life, known
as the Protozoa.
The Moneron lives
in water, and
is a very
minute shapeless, colorless, slimy, sticky, drop of protoplasmic substance.
It has no
organs of any kind, and
all of its
parts are similar—it lacks
the separate organs
or parts with
which to perform
the offices of
the living creature
as found in the
higher forms of
life. And yet
this organless creature
performs the processes known, respectively, as nutrition, reproduction, sensation, and will-action. Every part of
the Moneron is
capable of absorbing
food and oxygen—it is
all stomach and all lungs.
Moreover, it is
all reproductive organism.
It envelops its
prey by enclosing the
latter as a
drop of glue
encloses a tiny
gnat; and it
then absorbs the
nourishment from its
food through every portion
of its surface
coming in contact
with the food.
It moves by
prolonging a portion
of itself outward, like
a tiny tail
or finger—this constitutes
the "false foot"
by which it
propels, pushes, or
pulls itself forward or
backward, or sidewise.
When it gets
ready, it pulls
back the "false
foot" into its
general substance, and is
the same as
before. It has no
distinction of sex,
but reproduces itself
by simply growing
larger and then
dividing itself into
two—and the process is
over, there being
two Monera where
only one Moneron
was the moment
before. And yet
this simple creature receives
impressions from outside,
and responds thereto.
It seeks its
food, and escapes
its enemies. It has
all the
mind it needs.
Next in
the rising scale
of animal life
we find the
Amoeba. This creature
also is a
one-celled animal. It
progresses by a continuous projection of "false
feet" and a subsequent drawing-in
of the same,
which gives it
the appearance of a
many-fingered, or many-footed thing. This creature has
the beginning of
"parts" and "organs." In
the first place it
has a "nucleus" at
its centre, and
also an expanding
and contracting cavity within
itself which it uses for holding, digesting, and distributing its food—a rudimentary
stomach, so to
speak. It also
has something like a "skin" on
its surface, and
it cannot be
turned "inside out"
like its brother
the Moneron without
disturbing its life.
Let us
pause here for
a moment, before
passing on to the consideration
of the higher
forms of animal-life.
The purpose of the
pause is to
call your attention
to the resemblance
of the Monera
and the Amoebae
to the cells
of which the human
body is composed.
The ordinary cells
of the higher
animal, and mankind,
closely resemble the Monera
in many ways,
while the white
corpuscles of the
blood of animals
and men bear
a striking resemblance
to the Amoebae, so far
as is concerned their size, general structure, and movements—in
fact, science classes
them as
"amoeboids." The white
corpuscles of our
blood—these
"amoeboids"—change
their shape, take food
in an intelligent
manner, and live an apparently independent life, with
movements showing undoubted "thought" and
"will."
The
cells of which the bodies of animals
and men are
composed are really independent
living creatures, each of which is
possessed of sufficient
"mind" to enable
it to perform
its necessary life-work
and offices. By
means of the operation
of what occultists
know as the
"group mind" by
which a number
of independent cells
coordinate their activities, these
cells perform the
coordinated work of
the organism. Each of these cell-minds manifests a
perfect adaptation for
its particular work.
The work of
those cells, in
extracting from the
blood the exact
amount of nourishment needed
by it, is
but a minor
evidence of the
presence of such
mind in them.
The process of digestion, assimilation,
etc., is another
instance of the
intelligence of the
cells and cell-groups.
In the healing
of wounds, in which
the cells rush
to the points
at which their
services are needed,
we have a
striking instance of the
selective intelligence of the cells.
The cells of
the body are
constantly at work,
performing the multitudinous offices of the organism,
working separately, in
small groups, and
in great groups,
according to the
nature of the work
to be done.
Some
of the cells of the body are active workers,
manufacturing the secretions
and fluids needed
in the varied work
of the system.
Others belong to
"the reserves," and
are kept under
"waiting orders" awaiting
the call to
duty in the case
of an accident
or other emergency.
Some are stationary, others
remain stationary until
they are called into
motion to meet
some requirement, others are
constantly moving about,
some making regular trips and
others being rovers. Some of the
moving cells perform
the work of
carriers, some move
from place to place doing odd
jobs, others perform
scavenger work, and
a large number
are employed on
the police-force of
the body, or else
constitute the cell-army.
The carrier
cells—the red-corpuscles of the blood—travel
in the arteries and veins,
carrying a load of oxygen on the
outward arterial trip,
and bringing back
a return cargo
of the waste
products of the
system to be
burned up in the
lungs. Other cells
force their way
through the walls
of the arteries
and veins, and
through the tissues
of the body, on
repair work. The
police cells, and
the soldier-cells, in
the blood protect
the system from
the attacks of germs, bacteria, and other harmful
visitors or invaders. One
of the protecting
cells coming in
contact with an intruder
of this kind
will enmesh it,
and then proceed
to devour it;
if the task
be too heavy
for one cell
it will call the
assistance of others,
and the combined
force will seize
the intruder and
try to eject
it from the
system.
The work of
the cells in
repairing a wound
furnishes one of the
most striking in illustrations
of the presence
of intelligence in the
cells. When a
portion of the body is
wounded, it is
found that the
tissues, lymphatic and
blood vessels, glands, muscles,
nerves, and sometimes
even the bones
are severed. The
alarm is sounded
by the nervous system, and
the repair-cells rush
to the spot
in great numbers.
The flowing blood
washes away the
dirt and foreign substances—or at
least endeavors to
do so. Then
the blood coagulates
and forms a
scab to protect
the wound. By this
time millions of
blood cells have
arrived on the
scene, and the
repair work begins
at once. The
cells display the most
wonderful activity and
intelligence in this work.
The cells of
the tissues, nerves,
blood-vessels, etc., on
each side of the wound begin to
reproduce themselves very rapidly,
and gradually form
a bridge over
the space between
the two sides
of the wound,
bringing each side together.
In this bridge
work they display
intelligence, purpose and
system. The cells of the
blood-vessels connect with
the same kind
of cells on
the opposite side
of the wound,
forming new tubes
through which the blood may flow. The cells of the
connective tissues do
likewise, and so
do the cells
of each of
the other kinds of
bodily substance. Then
after the "inside
work" is complete,
new epidermis cells
form a new
skin over the healed
wound. The above
gives you but
a passing glimpse
of the wonderful
intelligent work of the
cells in performing their
offices in the
body—what has not
been told is
equally as wonderful.
To all intents
and purposes the cells
of the body
are like the
individual bees in the hive, i.e., intelligent, independent
living creatures working together for
the common good.
The above
digression was made
in order to
acquaint you with the wonderful intelligence which is
possible of manifestation by the
counterparts of the
Monera and the
Amoebae—those lowly forms
of one-cell life
which we have been
considering on the
preceding pages. An
understanding of the
facts above related
will bring home
to each student the
full perception and
appreciation of the
truth of the
statement previously made,
i.e., that each living
creature, from highest to lowest,
is endowed with a degree of
consciousness and intelligence proportionate to its requirements
in its life-work
and activities.
Some of
the Amoebae—the Diatoms,
for instance—secrete solid
matter from the
water, and build
themselves tiny houses or shells to protect themselves
from their enemies.
These shells have
tiny openings through
which the creature may
project its "false
feet" for purposes
of movement, and
for securing food.
The skeletons of
these minute creatures form
the deposits of
chalk found in
many parts of the world.
Next
higher in the scale come the Infusoria, which are distinguished
by having tiny
vibrating filaments, or
threadlike appendages, which they employ for purposes
of motion and
grasping their food.
These filaments are permanent, and
are the beginning
of the manifestation
of permanent limbs in
the animal world. These elementary creatures have also evolved rudimentary
mouth-openings, and also
a short gullet
which is a
rudimentary throat,
windpipe, and food-passage.
Then come
the Sponges, slimy
creatures employing a
spongy, soft skeleton (the latter
being what we commonly call "sponges"). This
creature also employs
whip-like filaments with
which to gather
its food. Then
come the Polyps, which
fasten themselves to
floating objects, mouth
downward, with tentacles
serving to seize
their food. The Jellyfishes
which belong to
this family also have
rudimentary muscles, the
contraction of which
enables the creature to
"swim." They also
possess a rudimentary
nervous system, and
rudimentary eyes and
ears. Next in the
ascending scale come
the Star-Fish, Sea-Urchin,
and their kind,
some of which
possess a well
defined nervous system, a
true stomach, and
eyes. Then come the Annulosa, or jointed creatures,
comprising the various
families of Worms, Crabs,
Spiders, Ants, etc.
This great family
of creatures comprises nearly four-fifths of the
known lifeforms of the
animal kingdom. Their
bodies are well
formed, and they
have quite well-developed nervous
systems, eyes, and other
sense organs, and
in some of
the higher forms
a circulatory system
distributing a fluid
akin to blood, which
distributes the blood
and oxygen to
all parts of
the body of the creature.
Highest in the
scale of this
great family are the
Insects, with their
many varieties, the
characteristics of which
need not be
described here, all
being familiar with them.
The wonders of
spider-life, of ant-life,
of bee-life, have
been depicted by
great naturalists, and the
student will need
no additional assurance
of the presence
of intelligence within
the being of
these tiny creatures and
their relations in the insect
world. Darwin once
said that "the
brain of the
ant, although not
much larger than a
pin-point, is one
of the most
marvelous atoms of
matter in the
world, perhaps more
so than the
brain of man." Then
come the Mollusca,
which group includes
the oyster, clam, snail,
etc. Some of
the higher forms
of this family show
signs of a
rudimentary vertebra, and may be considered as possibly the
"connecting link" between
the invertebrates and
the Vertebrates.
Next in
the ascending scale
come the Vertebrates,
so called by
reason of the
presence in them
of a vertebra
or spinal column, or
"backbone," and an
internal skeleton as
contrasted with the
external skeleton of
the lower forms of
life. At the
lowest end of
the scale of
the vertebrates are
found the great
family of Fishes,
with high and low
species. Then come
the Reptiles, with its species of snakes, lizards, turtles, crocodiles,
etc. There are many "connecting
links" between the
family of Fishes
and that of
the Reptiles; and
also many between
the family of Reptiles,
and the family
of Birds which is
next highest in the scale. Among the
birds, particularly in
the Crow family,
we find examples
of a high
degree of intelligence.
Next
above the Birds come
the Mammals, which
is connected with the family of Birds
by several strange "connecting links"—for instance
the Australian Duck-Bill,
which strange creature
lays eggs, and then when her eggs
are hatched nourishes
them with milk
from her breast.
In the great
family of Mammals,
are the following sub-families of animals, viz.: The Monotremes, or
half-bird, half-mammal creatures; the Marsupials, or milk-giving, pouched
animals, which carry their imperfectly
developed young in an extended
pouch until maturity— such as
the opossum and
kangaroo; the Placentals,
or creatures having
the placenta or
appendage through which the
young is nourished
in the womb
before birth—that is the Royal
Line through which the higher forms of the Mammals proceeded.
Among the
Placentals, are found
the following sub-families:
The Edentata, or
toothless creatures, such
as the sloths, ant-eaters,
armadillos, etc.; the
Sirena, or sea
cows, manatees , dugongs,
etc.; the Cetacea,
or whales, dolphins, porpoises,
etc., which resemble
fishes but which
are true mammals,
bringing forth matured
young which are nourished
at the breast;
the Ungluta, or
hoofed animals, such
as the horse,
the cow, the
rhinoceros, the
hippopotamus, the pig,
the camel, the
deer, the sheep,
etc.; the Hyracoidea,
or family of the coney, rock, rabbit, etc.; the Proboscidea, or trunked animals, such as
the elephants; the
Carnivora, or flesh-eaters,
including the seal, the
bear, the dog,
the wolf, the
lion, the tiger,
the leopard, etc.
The wolf and
similar animals belong
to the sub-family of
dogs; while the
lion, tiger, and similar animals
belong to the
sub-family of cats;
the Rodentia, or
gnawers, including the
rat, the hare,
the beaver, the squirrel,
the mouse, etc.;
the Insectivora, or
insect-feeders, such as
the mole, the
shrew, the hedgehog, etc.; the
Cheiroptera, or wing-fingered
animals, including the
great families of
bats, etc.; the Lemuroidea, or Lemur family,
the individuals of
which resemble a monkey in
general appearance, but have in
addition a long bushy
tail and a
sharp muzzle like
a fox—they are
like a small
fox having hands
and feet like
a monkey; the Primates,
or family of
creatures like the
monkey, baboon, man-apes,
gibbons, gorillas, chimpanzees,
orangoutang, and finally,
the "connecting links"
between the apish
forms and Man.
In this
ascending scale of
animal life the
student will perceive countless
varieties and species, subspecies and variations among
species. And in
each there will
be perceived some
slight difference in the degree and quality of the intelligence manifested by the creature. Even among
the individuals of the same
species there is
found a great variation in such manifestations. But
throughout it all,
there is perceived to be a certain general plane of
consciousness which may
be called "The
Animal Plane" as
distinguished from "The
Mineral Plane" on
the one hand, and
"The Human Plane"
on the other
hand.
The Plane
of the Human
Passing from
the Plane of
Animal Consciousness to
that of the Plane of Human Consciousness, we
soon become cognizant of
the presence of
a new element
of consciousness. This element is
known as "Self
Consciousness," or the consciousness
which enables Man
to say, knowingly,
of himself "I
am I"—to identify
himself as the
Thinker, apart from
the thoughts; the
Actor apart from
the action; the Feeler,
apart from the
feelings; the Willer,
apart from the
voluntary activities; the
Conscious Subject, apart
from the phenomena of the senses.
It is true
that in the
primitive forms of
human life this
new consciousness exists
but as a faint
dawn, but it
is latent there; and as the ascent of
Man progresses this
new conscious flames
out in higher and
still higher forms.
What this new
element of Self-Consciousness is,
we shall see
presently.
In thinking
of Man, we
must remember that
primitive human beings—little
removed from the
apes—are as much Man as
is the highest
individual of the
race today, or
as will be
his still higher
descendant of tomorrow.
And we must not
forget that the
Plane of Human
Consciousness is closely
linked to, and
blended with, the
Plane of Animal Consciousness, at
one of its
sides. The best
scientific, and the
best occult teaching
hold that the
man and the ape descended
from some common
ancestral form in the
long
ages past; the
common ancestor was
the trunk from which
the Man branch
sprung on one
side and the
ape branch sprung
on the other.
It must
not be forgotten
that the lowest
races of Man
known to us
today are as far
removed in degree
of intelligence from the
highest known types
of mankind as
from the highest
apes or man-apes.
In fact, many
think that evolution from
the highest apes
to the Kaffir,
Hottentot, or Digger
Indian is no
more difficult than
would be the evolution
of those lowly
types of human
life up to
the types of
Emerson, Shakespeare, Huxley,
Darwin, Edison and other
high types of
cultured man. Huxley
has shown us
that the brain
structure of Man
as compared with the Chimpanzee shows
differences but slight as compared
to the differences
between that of the Chimpanzee and
that of the
Lemur. He also
shows us that
in the important
feature of the
deeper brain-furrows, and intricate
convolutions, the chasm
between the highest
civilized man and
the lowest savage is far greater
than between the lowest savage
and the highest
man-ape. Darwin, in
his description of
the very low
type of human beings
found among the Fuegian savages,
says: "Their very signs and
expressions are less
intelligible to us
than those of the
domesticated animal. They
are men who
do not possess
the instinct of
those animals, nor
yet appear to boast
of human reason,
or at least
of the arts
consequent upon that
reason."
Professor Clodd,
in his description
of the Primitive
Man says: "Doubtless he
was lower than
the lowest of the
savages of today—a
powerful, cunning biped,
with keen sense
organs always sharper,
by virtue of
constant exercise, in the
savage than in the
civilized man (who
supplements them by
science), strong instincts,
uncontrolled and fitful
emotions, small faculty
of wonder, and
nascent reasoning power; unable to forecast tomorrow, or
to comprehend yesterday,
living from hand
to mouth on
the wild products
of Nature, clothed
in skin and bark,
or daubed with
clay, and finding
shelter in trees
and caves; ignorant
of the simplest
arts, save to
chip a stone missile,
and perhaps to
produce fire; strong
in his needs
of life and
vague sense of
right to it
and to what
he could get, but
slowly impelled by
common perils and
passions to form
ties, loose and
haphazard at the
outset, with his kind,
the power of
combination with them
depending on sounds,
signs and gestures."
The
consideration of that characteristic phase of Consciousness known
as the Self-Consciousness of
Man will be
pursued further in
the succeeding chapter, in
which chapter will
also be taken
up the consideration
of the two
still higher Planes
of Consciousness known as
"The Plane of
the Demi-Gods," and
"The Plane of
the Gods," respectively.
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