From the Unconscious to the Conscious 



this personal consciousness seems to vanish, it returns 

 to the shelter of her own breast. 



If our insight penetrates far enough to the founda- 

 tion of things, we think as Nature does. 



We then know how to explain the absolute confidence, 

 this complete indifference of Nature to the disappearance 

 of personal consciousness; the seeming end is not really 

 the end, for it cannot touch the true and real essence of 

 the individual, nor his realised consciousness, which, 

 like that essence and with that essence, the divine 

 spark is pre-existent, surviving, and eternal. 



What, then, does death matter ? It destroys only 

 a semblance, a temporary representation. The true 

 and indestructible individuality assimilates and so pre- 

 serves all the acquirements of the transitory personality; 

 then bathed for a time in the waters of Lethe, it material- 

 ises anew in personality and thus continues its evolution 

 indefinitely. Yes, that is what Nature teaches us very 

 clearly and Nature never lies. 



To this first metaphysical proof, another, not less 

 remarkable, may be added. If the realisation of con- 

 sciousness is really the undeniable end of evolution, it is 

 not possible to imagine the disappearance and annihila- 

 tion of individual consciousness. 



Let us imagine general evolution very far advanced; 

 let us suppose it ideally developed to a point not far 

 removed from omniscience, as it must necessarily be 

 some day. Nothing in time or in space could escape 

 such a universal consciousness, to which time and space 

 would be relatively meaningless. 



Would this universal consciousness have all know- 

 ledge with the one exception of the individual states 

 which it had passed through in its evolution ? That is 

 impossible; the universal consciousness must necessarily 

 contain the sum of individual consciousnesses, it would, 

 in fact, be their sum and totality. 



We have then the choice of alternative either 



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