XXXVII 



my observations lead me to suppose that it is sometimes occasioned by a 

 change of food in some individuals, in which case it may be considered as a 

 physiological change in an individual which renders it sensitive to influences 

 which formerly had no hold upon it. In the same way through a change of 

 this sort we may see a susceptibility to certain diseases arise in a person who 

 was formerly immune. Such an influence might cause an impetus towards a 

 special evolution. The idea has also occurred to me, that this may be the 

 reason, why the sudden changes have been found so especially in agriculture 

 and horticulture; that is to say where a particular form of culture effects the 

 peculiar constitution of a species to such an extent that, as suggested above, a 

 susceptibility to change arises. 



The nature of that which we call life, is a mystery to us ; the efforts to 

 explain the origin of it upon chemico-physical lines as developed out of 

 inorganic matter, are, in my opinion, a failure. Life is something that for us 

 is invisible and intangible, broadly speaking therefore immaterial; we only perceive 

 its manifestations as the spiritual element governing the material element, which 

 also sustains the existence of the simplest cell, causes it to increase, and exercises 

 a certain pressure upon it towards development, leading to the formation of 

 specialized groups of cells. I regard this as a psychic element; and therefore 

 only perceptible in its outward expression. Now there is no difference that 

 can be demonstrated between the physical development of man and that of 

 animals, down to the very simplest forms, except of a quantitative kind. Why 

 should this be otherwise in regard to the spiritual development? Here also, 

 we find it amongst contemporary man, and man during the long period 

 since he first came into existence, as also in the different kinds of animals, 

 although unequally developed, yet only a quantitative difference. Why, then, 

 should this spiritual element not be present in the simplest living substance 

 although in such an elementary form, that we can hardly imagine it, and thus 

 exercise control over matter? Life becomes then in truth, in accordance with 

 the oldest conception of it, the inspiration of matter, although we need not 

 take this inspiration in the mystic sense, and this psychic principle element 

 may also be regarded as matter, but of a finer sort, not perceptible by our senses. 



Just as this vital principle from the very beginning has exercised pressure 

 in the direction of every physical change, every specialisation of cells, so it 

 continues through the higher physical development; whenever the psychic element 

 judges a change in the organism to be necessary, it exercises pressure towards 

 change, towards evolution in a definite direction, the one desired. In this manner 

 that whole wonderful machine which forms the animal body, must have been formed ; 

 that the development of this should not have been guided by a thinking psychic 



