the unknown guest(陌生客)-第38章
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more powerful than that of the animals and almost independent of our
body have resulted in the disappearance of life as we know it； and should
we not even now be trading the life which we shall probably lead when we
are dead？ Here are a number of questions to which there are no answers
and which are nevertheless perhaps not so idle as one might at first
believe。
14
Amidst this antagonism； whose triumph are we to hope for？ Is any
alliance between the two opposing forces for ever impossible so long as
we are in the flesh？ What are we to do meanwhile？ If a choice be
inevitable； which way will our choice incline； and which victim shall we
sacrifice？ Shall we listen to those who tell us that there is nothing more to
be gained or learnt in those inhospitable regions where all our bewildering
phenomena have been known since man first was man？ Is it true that
occultismas it is very improperly called； for the knowledge which it
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seeks is no more occult than any otheris it true that occultism is marking
time； that it is becoming hopelessly entangled in the same doubtful facts
and that it has not taken a single step forward since its renaissance more
than fifty years ago？ One must be entirely ignorant of the wonderful
efforts of those fruitful years to venture upon such an assertion。 This is not
the place to discuss the question； which would require full and careful
treatment； but we may safely say that until now there is no science which
in so short a time has brought order out of such a chaos； ascertained；
checked and classified such a quantity of facts； or more rapidly awakened；
cultivated and trained in man certain faculties which he had never
seriously been believed to possess； and furthermore none which has
caused to be recognized as incontestable and thus introduced into the
circle of the realities whereon we base our lives a number of unlikely
phenomena which had hitherto been contemptuously passed over。 We are
still； it is true； waiting for the domestication of the new force； its practical
application to daily use。 We are waiting for the all…revealing； decisive
manifestation which will remove our last doubts and throw light upon the
problem down to its very source。 But let us admit that we are likewise
waiting for this manifestation in the great majority of sciences。 In my case；
we are already in the presence of an astonishing mass of well…weighed and
verified materials which； until now； had been taken for the refuse of
dreams； fragments of wild legends； meaningless and unimportant。 For
more than three centuries； the science of electricity remained at very much
the same point at which our psychical sciences stand to…day。 Men were
recording； accumulating； trying to interpret a host of odd and futile
phenomena； toying with Ramsden's machine； with Leyden jars； with
Volta's rough battery。 They thought that they had discovered an agreeable
pastime； an ingenious plaything for the laboratory or study； and they had
not the slightest suspicion that they were touching the sources of an
universal； irresistible； inexhaustible power； invisibly present and active in
all things； that would soon invade the surface of our globe。 Nothing tells
us that the psychic forces of which we are beginning to catch a glimpse
have not similar surprises in store for us； with this difference； that we are
here concerned with energies and mysteries which are loftier； grander and
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doubtless fraught with graver consequences； since they affect our eternal
destinies； traverse alike our life and our death and extend beyond our
planet。
15
It is not true therefore that the psychical sciences have said their last
word and that we have nothing more to expect from them。 They have but
just awakened or reawakened； and； to postdate Guyau's prediction by a
hundred years； we might say； with them in our minds； that the twentieth
century 〃will end with discoveries as ill…formulated but perhaps as
important in the moral world as those of Newton and Laplace in the
astronomical world。〃 But； though we have much to hope from them； that is
no reason why we should look to them for everything and abandon in their
favour that which has brought us where we are。 The choice of which we
spoke； between the brain and the subconsciousness； has been made long
ago； and it is not our part to make it over again。 We are carried along by a
force acquired in the course of two or three thousand years； and our
methods； like our intellectual habits； have of themselves become
transformed into sort of minor subconsciousness superposed upon the
major subconsciousness and sometimes mingling with it。 Henri Bergson；
in his very fine presidential address to the Society for Psychical Research
on the 28th of May； 1913； said that he had sometimes wondered what
would have happened if modern science； instead of setting out from
mathematics； instead of bringing all its forces to converge on the study of
matter； had begun by the consideration of mind； if Kepler； Galileo and
Newton； for instance； had been psychologists：
〃We should certainly；〃 said he； 〃have had a psychology of which to…
day we can form no idea； any more than before Galileo we could have
imagined what our physics would be； a psychology that probably would
have been to our present psychology what our physics is to Aristotle's。
Foreign to every mechanistic idea； not even conceiving the possibility of
an explanation； science would have enquired into； instead of dismissing a
priori facts； such as those which you study； perhaps 'psychical research'
would have stood out as its principal preoccupation。 The most general
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laws of mental activity once discovered （as； in fact； the fundamental laws
of mechanics were discovered）； we should have passed from mind；
properly so…called； to life； biology would have been constituted； but a
vitalist biology； quite different from ours； which would have sought
behind the sensible forms of living beings the inward； invisible force of
which the sensible forms are the manifestations。〃
It would therefore in the very first days of its activity have
encountered all these strange problems： telepathy； materializations；
clairvoyance； miraculous cures； knowledge of the future； the possibility of
survival； interplanetary intelligence and many others； which it has
neglected hitherto and which； thanks to its neglect； are still in their infancy。
But； as the human mind is not able to follow two diametrically opposite
directions at the same time； it would necessarily have rejected the
mathematical sciences。 A steamship coming from another hemisphere； one
in which men's minds had taken； unknown to ourselves； the road which
our own has actually taken； would have seemed to us as wonderful； as
incredible as the phenomena of our subconsciousness seem to us to…day。
We should have gone very far in what at present we call the unknown or
the occult； but we should have known hardly anything of physics；
chemistry or mechanics； unless； which is very probable； we had come
upon them by another road as we travelled round the occult。 It is true that
certain nations； the Hindus particularly； the Egyptians and perhaps the
Incas； as well as others； in all probability； who have not left sufficient
traces； thus went to work the other way and obtained nothing decisive。 Is
this again a consequence of the hopeless incompatibility between the
faculties of the brain and those of the subconsciousness？ Possibly； but we
must not forget that we are speaking of nations which never possessed our
intellectual habits； our passion for precision； for verification； for
experimental certainty； indeed； this passion has only been fully developed
in ourselves within the last two or three centuries。 It is to be presumed
therefore that the European would have gone much farther in the other
direction than the Oriental。 Where would he have arrived？ Endowed with
a different brain； naturally clearer； more exacting； more logical； less
credulous； more practical； closer to realities； more attentive to details； but
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with the scientific side of his intelligence uncultivated； would he have
gone astray or would he have met the truths which we are still seeking and
which may well be more important than all our material conquests。 Ill…
prepared； ill…equipped； ill…balanced； lacking the necessary ballast of
experiments and proofs； would he have been exposed to the dangers
familiar to all the too…mystical nations？ It is very difficult to imagine so。
But the hour has now perhaps come to try without risk what he could not
have done without grave peril。 While abandoning no whit of his
understanding； which is small compared with the boundless scope of the
subconsciousness； but which is sure； tried and docile； he can now embark
upon the great adventure and try to d
