EXPLANATIONS OF TERMS 39 



Metaphysics. — The science of that which is " supersensual " but 

 not purely spiritual ; consequently the knowledge of the astral 

 plane, the ethereal elements in the organism of man and of 

 Nature, the anatomy and physiology of the " inner man," the 

 correlation of spiritual energies, ^c. &c. 



Macrocosmos. — '! he Universe ; the great world, including all 

 visible and invisible things. 



MiCROCOSMOS. — The little world. Usually applied to Man. A 

 smaller world is a Microcosmos if compared with a larger one. 

 Our Solar System is a Microcosm in comparison with the Uni- 

 verse, and a Macrocosm if compared with the Earth. Man is a 

 Microcosm in comparison with the Earth, and a Macrocosm if 

 compared with an atom of matter. An atom of matter is a 

 Microcosm, because in it are all the potentialities out of which 

 a Macrocosm may grow if the conditions are favourable. Every- 

 thing contained in a Microcosm in a state of development is 

 contained in the Microcosm in germ. 



MoNSTRA. — Unnatural — usually invisible — beings, that may spring 

 from corruption or from unnatural sexual connection, from the 

 (astral) putrefaction of sperma, or from the effects of a morbid 

 imagination. All such and similar things may pass from the 

 merely subjective into the objective state ; because " objective " 

 and "subjective" are relative terms, and refer rather to our 

 capacity to perceive them, than to any essential qualities of 

 their own. What may be merely subjective to a person in 

 one state of existence may be fully objective to one in another 

 state : for instance, in delirium tremens and insanity, subjective 

 hallucinations appear objective to the patient. 



MuMiA. — The essence of life contained in some vehicle. (Prana, 

 Vitality ; clinging to some material substance.) Parts of the 

 human, animal, or vegetable bodies, if separated from the organ- 

 ism, retain their vital power and their specific action for a while, 

 as is proved by the transplantation of skin, by vaccination, 

 poisoning by infection from corpses, dissection wounds, infec- 

 tion from ulcers, &c. (Bacteria are such vehicles of life.) Blood, 

 excrements, &c., may contain vitality for a while after having been 

 removed from the organism, and there may still exist some sym- 

 pathy between such substances and the vitality of the organism ; 

 and by acting upon the former, the latter may be affected.* 



> A case is cited in which a plastic operation was performed on a man's 

 nose by transplanting on it a piece of skin taken f lom another person. 

 The artificial nose answered its purpose for a long time, until the person 

 from whom the piece of skin was taken died, when the nose is said to 

 have rotted. Cases are also known in which persons have felt a pain 

 caused by the pressure of a «tone upon a recently amputated leg that, 



