10 



The mysiievy which caused the deep 

 agitation of Newtoa's miad as iadaence 

 which binds the Pleiades, gradually 

 dawned upon his wondering soul, is a very 

 different one from that which fascin- 

 ates the gaze of the ignorant trick* 

 worshipper. 



To penetrate the interior of a world in 

 motion ; to trajse as far as possible the 

 orderly laws which determines its course, 

 and to contemplate the mystery of the 

 cause of its original impulses are matters 

 which lie within the field of wonder of the 

 higher intelligence. To be callous to the 

 inner life of everything, to see a wonder 

 only in novelty, rarity, or in the unu mal 

 exterior are sure indices of a lower stage 

 of intelligence. 



CONCLUSION. 



The order and equilibrium of the mind 

 are intimately connected with the vigour, 

 fulness, and health of the organs of 

 sense. 



Many persons commit mental suicide 

 for the sensual delight of a useless 

 momentary wonder. 



The insane, by disease, are forced to 

 live always within a world of wonders 

 such as those sought after, at times, by 

 the ignorant. 



I have prepared a classified " Psycho- 

 meter Index " which to some may be use- 

 ful in showing the treacherous nature of 

 the apparent value of judgments based 

 upon observations of the crippled senses. 

 I have shown by this classified " Psycho- 

 meter Index " that we may only hope for 

 orderly concepts, free from illusion, with- 

 in narrow limits. Beyond this limit 

 orderly conception diminishes or lessens 

 in value. It would seem that passion 

 distorts or gains ascendancy over sane 

 judgment in proportion to the degree of 

 the diminishing power of the senses, un- 

 til, approaching the zero of the under- 

 standing, the state coincides exactly with 

 insanity. 



The insane state consists of all kinds of 

 unreasoning beliefs; but, unlike sane 

 concepts, they are marked by a real pitiful 

 intensity of conviction to which the sane 

 mind can never hope, or ever wish for, 

 within the logical order of the higher 

 states of consciousness. Better be a dull, 

 pulsating mass of protoplasm than to be 

 adrift upon a stormy ocean of disordered 

 concepts, when the rudder and helm of 



the senses have been rendered nugatory, 

 or have been for ever destroyed. Let us 

 beware, therefore, of the intensity of a 

 conviction which is, in this way, related. 



Notwithstanding what has been stated 

 in opposition to illusions of a fungoid 

 character, I am far from being convinced 

 that all illusions, as such, are harmful. 

 I am inclined to think that a benefical 

 purpose is served by many of them, 

 especially of such as are born of the 

 extraordinary strength of love, affection, 

 sympathy, and the higher poetic fancy. 

 The mother, for example, sees favourable 

 qualities in her child which no other eye 

 regards, and, frequently, have no real 

 existence. Who, therefore, would wholly 

 banish the mist of the affections ? I, for 

 one, would not if I could. A. large group 

 of illusions might fairly be classed under 

 this order. All illusion, or partial illusion, 

 which for the moment may be necessary 

 to our comfort and well-being, spiritually, 

 and not liable to introduce more remotely 

 great evil consequences, I would be sorry 

 to see wholly dispelled. I do not regard 

 or class such as " Fungoid Illusions." 

 Illusions which are harmful are alone 

 regarded as " fungoid " in my estimation. 



We have seen that it may be possible 

 to reach the zero of valuable concepts, 

 and, indeed, of all consciousness, in two 

 widely different directions. On the one 

 hand, it may be gradually approached 

 through varying stages of fictitious won- 

 der, imagination, dream-illusion, insanity, 

 and by the destruction of one after the 

 other of those wonderful organs of sense 

 which, though of feeble range, are yet, in 

 the highest sense, God given, Heaven- 

 born. 



On the other hand, by humble mien 

 and fearless confidence, we may, through 

 all the channels of widening sense, ad- 

 vance to still greater heights, wider hori- 

 zons, which may be ordained that we 

 should yet conquer. There are still al- 

 most infinite circles within the legitimate 

 domain of natural science, but beyond the 

 limits of our present knowledge and range 

 of powers. 



Yet, even now, from a thousand heights 

 of sense, we can perceive that, however 

 we may increase in suhjective knowledge 

 — /.(?., natural knowledge — the objective 

 mystery which surrounds us, which we 

 feel we can never penetrate, is but in- 



