the　morning；　and　the　beauty　of　the　hills　and　valleys；　I　soon　lost
  my　sense　of　sadness　and　regret。　　For　nearly　an　hour　I　walked
  along　the　road　to　the　'Cat　and　Fiddle；'　and　then　returned。　　On
  the　way　back；　suddenly；　without　warning；　I　felt　that　I　was　in
  Heavenan　inward　state　of　peace　and　joy　and　assurance
  indescribably　intense；　accompanied　with　a　sense　of　being　bathed
  in　a　warm　glow　of　light；　as　though　the　external　condition　had
  brought　about　the　internal　effecta　feeling　of　having　passed
  beyond　the　body；　though　the　scene　around　me　stood　out　more
  clearly　and　as　if　nearer　to　me　than　before；　by　reason　of　the
  illumination　in　the　midst　of　which　I　seemed　to　be　placed。　　This
  deep　emotion　lasted；　though　with　decreasing　strength；　until　I
  reached　home；　and　for　some　time　after；　only　gradually　passing
  away。〃
  The　writer　adds　that　having　had　further　experiences　of　a　similar
  sort；　he　now　knows　them　well。
  〃The　spiritual　life；〃　he　writes；　〃justifies　itself　to　those　who
  live　it；　but　what　can　we　say　to　those　who　do　not　understand？
  This；　at　least；　we　can　say；　that　it　is　a　life　whose　experiences
  are　proved　real　to　their　possessor；　because　they　remain　with　him
  when　brought　closest　into　contact　with　the　objective　realities　of
  life。　Dreams　cannot　stand　this　test。　　We　wake　from　them　to　find
  that　they　are　but　dreams。　　Wanderings　of　an　overwrought　brain　do
  not　stand　this　test。　　These　highest　experiences　that　I　have　had
  of　God's　presence　have　been　rare　and　briefflashes　of
  consciousness　which　have　compelled　me　to　exclaim　with
  surpriseGod　is　HERE！or　conditions　of　exaltation　and　insight；
  less　intense；　and　only　gradually　passing　away。　　I　have　severely
  questioned　the　worth　of　these　moments。　　To　no　soul　have　I　named
  them；　lest　I　should　be　building　my　life　and　work　on　mere
  phantasies　of　the　brain。　　But　I　find　that；　after　every
  questioning　and　test；　they　stand　out　to…day　as　the　most　real
  experiences　of　my　life；　and　experiences　which　have　explained　and
  justified　and　unified　all　past　experiences　and　all　past　growth。
  Indeed；　their　reality　and　their　far…reaching　significance　are
  ever　becoming　more　clear　and　evident。　　When　they　came；　I　was
  living　the　fullest；　strongest；　sanest；　deepest　life。　　I　was　not
  seeking　them。　　What　I　was　seeking；　with　resolute　determination；
  was　to　live　more　intensely　my　own　life；　as　against　what　I　knew
  would　be　the　adverse　judgment　of　the　world。　　It　was　in　the　most
  real　seasons　that　the　Real　Presence　came；　and　I　was　aware　that　I
  was　immersed　in　the　infinite　ocean　of　God。〃＇242＇
  ＇242＇　Op。　cit。；　pp。　256；　257；　abridged。
  Even　the　least　mystical　of　you　must　by　this　time　be　convinced　of
  the　existence　of　mystical　moments　as　states　of　consciousness　of
  an　entirely　specific　quality；　and　of　the　deep　impression　which
  they　make　on　those　who　have　them。　　A　Canadian　psychiatrist；　Dr。
  R。　M。　Bucke；　gives　to　the　more　distinctly　characterized　of　these
  phenomena　the　name　of　cosmic　consciousness。　　〃Cosmic
  consciousness　in　its　more　striking　instances　is　not；〃　Dr。　Bucke
  says；　〃simply　an　expansion　or　extension　of　the　self…conscious
  mind　with　which　we　are　all　familiar；　but　the　superaddition　of　a
  function　as　distinct　from　any　possessed　by　the　average　man　as
  SELF…consciousness　is　distinct　from　any　function　possessed　by　one
  of　the　higher　animals。〃
  〃The　prime　characteristic　of　cosmic　consciousness　is　a
  consciousness　of　the　cosmos；　that　is；　of　the　life　and　order　of
  the　universe。　　Along　with　the　consciousness　of　the　cosmos　there
  occurs　an　intellectual　enlightenment　which　alone　would　place　the
  individual　on　a　new　plane　of　existencewould　make　him　almost　a
  member　of　a　new　species。　　To　this　is　added　a　state　of　moral
  exaltation；　an　indescribable　feeling　of　elevation；　elation；　and
  joyousness；　and　a　quickening　of　the　moral　sense；　which　is　fully
  as　striking；　and　more　important　than　is　the　enhanced　intellectual
  power。　　With　these　come　what　may　be　called　a　sense　of
  immortality；　a　consciousness　of　eternal　life；　not　a　conviction
  that　he　shall　have　this；　but　the　consciousness　that　he　has　it
  already。〃＇243＇
  ＇243＇　Cosmic　Consciousness：　　a　study　in　the　evolution　of　the
  human　Mind；　Philadelphia；　1901；　p。　2。
  It　was　Dr。　Bucke's　own　experience　of　a　typical　onset　of　cosmic
  consciousness　in　his　own　person　which　led　him　to　investigate　it
  in　others。　　He　has　printed　his　conclusions　In　a　highly
  interesting　volume；　from　which　I　take　the　following　account　of
  what　occurred　to　him：
  〃I　had　spent　the　evening　in　a　great　city；　with　two　friends；
  reading　and　discussing　poetry　and　philosophy。　　We　parted　at
  midnight。　　I　had　a　long　drive　in　a　hansom　to　my　lodging。　　My
  mind；　deeply　under　the　influence　of　the　ideas；　images；　and
  emotions　called　up　by　the　reading　and　talk；　was　calm　and
  peaceful。　　I　was　in　a　state　of　quiet；　almost　passive　enjoyment；
  not　actually　thinking；　but　letting　ideas；　images；　and　emotions
  flow　of　themselves；　as　it　were；　through　my　mind。　　All　at　once；
  without　warning　of　any　kind；　I　found　myself　wrapped　in　a
  flame…colored　cloud。　　For　an　instant　I　thought　of　fire；　an
  immense　conflagration　somewhere　close　by　in　that　great　city；　the
  next；　I　knew　that　the　fire　was　within　myself。　　Directly　afterward
  there　came　upon　me　a　sense　of　exultation；　of　immense　joyousness
  accompanied　or　immediately　followed　by　an　intellectual
  illumination　impossible　to　describe。　　Among　other　things；　I　did
  not　merely　come　to　believe；　but　I　saw　that　the　universe　is　not
  composed　of　dead　matter；　but　is；　on　the　contrary；　a　living
  Presence；　I　became　conscious　in　myself　of　eternal　life。　　It　was
  not　a　conviction　that　I　would　have　eternal　life；　but　a
  consciousness　that　I　possessed　eternal　life　then；　I　saw　that　all
  men　are　immortal；　that　the　cosmic　order　is　such　that　without　any
  peradventure　all　things　work　together　for　the　good　of　each　and
  all；　that　the　foundation　principle　of　the　world；　of　all　the
  worlds；　is　what　we　call　love；　and　that　the　happiness　of　each　and
  all　is　in　the　long　run　　absolutely　certain。　　The　vision
  lasted　a　few　seconds　and　was　gone；　but　the　memory　of　it　and　the
  sense　of　the　reality　of　what　it　taught　has　remained　during　the
  quarter　of　a　century　which　has　since　elapsed。　　I　knew　that　what
  the　vision　showed　was　true。　　I　had　attained　to　a　point　of　view
  from　which　I　saw　that　it　must　be　true。　　That　view；　that
  conviction；　I　may　say　that　consciousness；　has　never；　even　during
  periods　of　the　deepest　depression；　been　lost。〃＇244＇
  ＇244＇　Loc。　cit。；　pp。　7；　8。　　My　quotation　follows　the　privately
  printed　pamphlet　which　preceded　Dr。　Bucke's　larger　work；　and
  differs　verbally　a　little　from　the　text　of　the　latter。
  We　have　now　seen　enough　of　this　cosmic　or　mystic　consciousness；
  as　it　comes　sporadically。　　We　must　next　pass　to　its　methodical
  cultivation　as　an　element　of　the　religious　life。　　Hindus；
  Buddhists；　Mohammedans；　and　Christians　all　have　cultivated　it
  methodically。
  In　India；　training　in　mystical　insight　has　been　known　from　time
  immemorial　under　the　name　of　yoga。　　Yoga　means　the　experimental
  union　of　the　individual　with　the　divine。　　It　is　based　on
  persevering　exercise；　and　the　diet；　posture；　breathing；
  intellectual　concentration；　and　moral　discipline　vary　slightly　in
  the　different　systems　which　teach　it。　　The　yogi；　or　disciple；　who
  has　by　these　means　overcome　the　obscurations　of　his　lower　nature
  sufficiently；　enters　into　the　condition　termed　samadhi；　〃and
  comes　face　to　face　with　facts　which　no　instinct　or　reason　can
  ever　know。〃　　He　learns
  〃That　the　mind　itself　has　a　higher　state　of　existence；　beyond
  reason；　a　superconscious　state；　and　that　when　the　mind　gets　to
  that　higher　state；　then　this　knowledge　beyond　reasoning　comes。　。
  。　。　All　the　different　steps　in　yoga　are　intended　to　bring　us
  scientifically　to　the　superconscious　state　or　Samadhi。　。　。　。
  Just　as　unconscious　work　is　beneath　consciousness；　so　there　is
  another　work　which　is　above　consciousness；　and　which；　also；　is
  not　accompanied　with　the　feeling　of　egoism　。　。　。　。　There　is　no
  feeling　of　I；　and　yet　the　mind　works；　desireless；　free　from
  restlessness；　objectless；　bodiless。　　Then　the　Truth　shines　in　its
  full　effulgence；　and　we　know　ourselvesfor　Samadhi　lies
  potential　in　us　allfor　what　we　truly　are；　free；　immortal；
  omnipotent；　loosed　from　the　finite；　and　its　contrasts　of　good　and
  evil　altogether；　and