按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
fascination over him。 'At any time the word hermit was enough to
transport him。' The words woods and forests would produce the
most powerful emotion。〃 Foster's Life； by Ryland； New York；
1846； p。 3。
A more pronounced step forward on the mystical ladder is found in
an extremely frequent phenomenon； that sudden feeling； namely；
which sometimes sweeps over us； of having 〃been here before；〃 as
if at some indefinite past time； in just this place； with just
these people； we were already saying just these things。 As
Tennyson writes：
〃Moreover； something is or seems
That touches me with mystic gleams；
Like glimpses of forgotten dreams
〃Of something felt； like something here；
Of something done； I know not where；
Such as no language may declare。〃＇228＇
＇228＇ The Two Voices。 In a letter to Mr。 B。 P。 Blood； Tennyson
reports of himself as follows：
〃I have never had any revelations through anaesthetics； but a
kind of waking trancethis for lack of a better wordI have
frequently had； quite up from boyhood； when I have been all
alone。 This has come upon me through repeating my own name to
myself silently； till all at once； as it were out of the
intensity of the consciousness of individuality； individuality
itself seemed to dissolve and fade away into boundless being； and
this not a confused state but the clearest； the surest of the
surest； utterly beyond wordswhere death was an almost laughable
impossibilitythe loss of personality （if so it were） seeming no
extinction； but the only true life。 I am ashamed of my feeble
description。 Have I not said the state is utterly beyond words？〃
Professor Tyndall； in a letter； recalls Tennyson saying of this
condition： 〃By God Almighty！ there is no delusion in the matter！
It is no nebulous ecstasy； but a state of transcendent wonder；
associated with absolute clearness of mind。〃 Memoirs of Alfred
Tennyson； ii。 473。
Sir James Crichton…Browne has given the technical name of 〃dreamy
states〃 to these sudden invasions of vaguely reminiscent
consciousness。＇229＇ They bring a sense of mystery and of the
metaphysical duality of things； and the feeling of an enlargement
of perception which seems imminent but which never completes
itself。 In Dr。 Crichton…Browne's opinion they connect themselves
with the perplexed and scared disturbances of self…consciousness
which occasionally precede epileptic attacks。 I think that this
learned alienist takes a rather absurdly alarmist view of an
intrinsically insignificant phenomenon。 He follows it along the
downward ladder； to insanity； our path pursues the upward ladder
chiefly。 The divergence shows how important it is to neglect no
part of a phenomenon's connections； for we make it appear
admirable or dreadful according to the context by which we set it
off。
＇229＇ The Lancet； July 6 and 13； 1895； reprinted as the Cavendish
Lecture； on Dreamy Mental States； London； Bailliere； 1895。 They
have been a good deal discussed of late by psychologists。 See；
for example； Bernard…Leroy： L'Illusion de Fausse Reconnaissance；
Paris； 1898。
Somewhat deeper plunges into mystical consciousness are met with
in yet other dreamy states。 Such feelings as these which Charles
Kingsley describes are surely far from being uncommon； especially
in youth：
〃When I walk the fields； I am oppressed now and then with an
innate feeling that everything I see has a meaning； if I could
but understand it。 And this feeling of being surrounded with
truths which I cannot grasp amounts to indescribable awe
sometimes。 。 。 。 Have you not felt that your real soul was
imperceptible to your mental vision； except in a few hallowed
moments？〃＇230＇
＇230＇ Charles Kingsley's Life； i。 55； quoted by Inge： Christian
Mysticism； London； 1899； p。 341。
A much more extreme state of mystical consciousness is described
by J。 A。 Symonds； and probably more persons than we suspect could
give parallels to it from their own experience。
〃Suddenly；〃 writes Symonds； 〃at church； or in company； or when I
was reading； and always； I think； when my muscles were at rest； I
felt the approach of the mood。 Irresistibly it took possession
of my mind and will； lasted what seemed an eternity； and
disappeared in a series of rapid sensations which resembled the
awakening from anaesthetic influence。 One reason why I disliked
this kind of trance was that I could not describe it to myself。 I
cannot even now find words to render it intelligible。 It
consisted in a gradual but swiftly progressive obliteration of
space； time； sensation； and the multitudinous factors of
experience which seem to qualify what we are pleased to call our
Self。 In proportion as these conditions of ordinary consciousness
were subtracted； the sense of an underlying or essential
consciousness acquired intensity。 At last nothing remained but a
pure； absolute； abstract Self。 The universe became without form
and void of content。 But Self persisted； formidable in its vivid
keenness； feeling the most poignant doubt about reality； ready；
as it seemed； to find existence break as breaks a bubble round
about it。 And what then？ The apprehension of a coming
dissolution； the grim conviction that this state was the last
state of the conscious Self； the sense that I had followed the
last thread of being to the verge of the abyss； and had arrived
at demonstration of eternal Maya or illusion； stirred or seemed
to stir me up again。 The return to ordinary conditions of
sentient existence began by my first recovering the power of
touch； and then by the gradual though rapid influx of familiar
impressions and diurnal interests。 At last I felt myself once
more a human being； and though the riddle of what is meant by
life remained unsolved I was thankful for this return from the
abyssthis deliverance from so awful an initiation into the
mysteries of skepticism。
〃This trance recurred with diminishing frequency until I reached
the age of twenty…eight。 It served to impress upon my growing
nature the phantasmal unreality of all the circumstances which
contribute to a merely phenomenal consciousness。 Often have I
asked myself with anguish； on waking from that formless state of
denuded； keenly sentient being； Which is the unrealitythe
trance of fiery； vacant； apprehensive； skeptical Self from which
I issue； or these surrounding phenomena and habits which veil
that inner Self and build a self of flesh…and… blood
conventionality？ Again； are men the factors of some dream； the
dream…like unsubstantiality of which they comprehend at such
eventful moments？ What would happen if the final stage of the
trance were reached？〃＇231＇
＇231＇ H。 F。 Brown： J。 A。 Symonds。 a Biography； London； 1895； pp。
29…31； abridged。
In a recital like this there is certainly something suggestive of
pathology。＇232＇ The next step into mystical states carries us
into a realm that public opinion and ethical philosophy have long
since branded as pathological； though private practice and
certain lyric strains of poetry seem still to bear witness to its
ideality。 I refer to the consciousness produced by intoxicants
and anaesthetics； especially by alcohol。 The sway of alcohol
over mankind is unquestionably due to its power to stimulate the
mystical faculties of human nature； usually crushed to earth by
the cold facts and dry criticisms of the sober hour。 Sobriety
diminishes； discriminates； and says no； drunkenness expands；
unites； and says yes。 It is in fact the great exciter of the YES
function in man。 It brings its votary from the chill periphery
of things to the radiant core。 It makes him for the moment one
with truth。 Not through mere perversity do men run after it。 To
the poor and the unlettered it stands in the place of symphony
concerts and of literature； and it is part of the deeper mystery
and tragedy of life that whiffs and gleams of something that we
immediately recognize as excellent should be vouchsafed to so
many of us only in the fleeting earlier phases of what in its
totality is so degrading a poisoning。 The drunken consciousness
is one bit of the mystic consciousness； and our total opinion of
it must find its place in our o