Preface xi 



stages with the conscious, and find the unity of process 

 that we need. This we had already found foreshadowed 

 in Christhood. In passing through the recapitulatory 

 stages that are characteristic of a child's development, 

 and in the continuity of the germ-plasm involved in 

 His birth from the Virgin Mary, we' find evidence of the 

 solidarity and oneness of the life and process from first 

 to last (Chapter VII). Finally we gather up the threads 

 by means of a discussion of what is meant by the evolu- 

 tion of transcendence (Chapter VIII). 



A change of attitude in regard to one or two matters 

 will be noticed if the book is compared with my pre- 

 vious ones. That is inevitable. Thought is bound to 

 correct and amplify earlier thought in matters which had 

 received inadequate consideration. But I dare to hope 

 that what change there is represents an advance. More- 

 over, I am not conscious of any radical disagreement 

 between my earlier and later reasonings. In a few 

 minor points there is disagreement, but as far as I am 

 aware, the bigger changes are rather in the direction of 

 amplification than of any real difference of view. 



In this book, as in its predecessors, the existence of 

 spiritual phenomena and of a spiritual environment has 

 been assumed. One or two correspondents have raised 

 objection to the use of the word spiritual without defini- 

 tion of its exact meaning. It has been suggested that 

 the word conveys simply the same idea as personal] or 

 that it connotes mind, ideas being spiritual phenomena. 

 Considering the vagueness with which the terms spirit 

 and spiritual are generally used, it may not be out of 

 place to attempt here a definition that will make clear 

 the meaning we attribute to them in our discussions. 

 One definition that has been suggested to me is "Per- 

 sonality minus matter." This comes near the truth; but 

 if we use matter in its strict connotation, the words would 

 imply that any non-material body, such as is desider- 



