98 THE UNIVERSE 



affirm that man is formed solely of material atoms 

 and that the faculty of thinking is only a property 

 of his organization. This is the mistake of the one- 

 sided physicist. When we analyze matter we find 

 everywhere the invisible atom. Matter disappears 

 like smoke in the atmosphere. 



Our bodies at death gradually disappear in the 

 same way. If our eyes had power to see the reality 

 of things they would look through walls formed of 

 separate molecules, through seemingly solid bodies, 

 which are atomic vortices. It is with the eye of the 

 spirit that we must see. We cannot trust to the sole 

 testimony of our senses. There are as many stars 

 above our head in the daytime as at night. 



Nature knows neither astronomy, physics nor chem- 

 istry; these are subjective methods of study. All 

 things are one the infinitely great and the infinitely 

 small. Stars and atoms are as one. 



"To speak with exactness," says Flammarion, 

 "solidity does not exist. A heavy ball of iron is 

 composed of atoms which do not touch each other; 

 its apparent solidity is pure illusion. In scientific 

 analysis it is a cloud of gnats like those that hover 

 in the air at twilight. Heat this ball which seems 

 so solid and it will flow like water; heat it still 

 more, it will evaporate into invisible space without 

 changing its nature. It will always continue to be 

 iron. In a house, its walls, floors, carpets and furni- 

 ture are composed of molecules which do not touch 

 each other. And these molecules which constitute 

 all matter revolve around each other." 



It is the same thing with our bodies. They are 

 composed of molecules perpetually rotating around 

 each other, like a flame, constantly consuming and 



