LIFE: ITS ORIGIN AND NATURE 61 
a high spiritual consciousness in man? That 
might be a rational view of the facts, provided 
there were some object in view in thus perfect¬ 
ing it. Perfecting a thing merely to destroy it 
does not show good common-sense. Is there an 
ultimate destiny and utility for consciousness? 
If there be some form of permanence for that 
consciousness—yes! If there be none, it is hard 
to see the reason for its evolution and perfec¬ 
tion. 
How can we assure ourselves of its perma¬ 
nence? Only by obtaining scientific proofs of it, 
and these proofts can come to us only in one 
way. By obtaining specific facts, proving that 
consciousness still exists. And this proof can 
come only by means of psychical research! For, 
apart from such evidence, there is none other; 
monism or some form of modified materialism 
would be in possession of the field. Rightly 
understood and interpreted, therefore, psychical 
phenomena are not merely vain pryings into 
trivial and silly manifestations, but an in¬ 
terpretation of facts upon which a whole cosmic 
philosophy may be built—an interpretation of 
the universe, which is not possible in their 
absence. Such a proof of the higher powers of 
mind and spirit, and its permanence and value, 
would alone permit us to form some rational 
and systematic interpretation of the Universe. 
Yet, if this were true, it may be asked: “Why 
have a physical body at all? Why not persist 
in some spiritual world from the beginning to 
the end of things, without bothering with this 
entangling mass of matter at all?” Fitz Hugh 
Ludlow, in his remarkable book, “The Hasheesh 
