lectures16+17-第2章

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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　opinion　of　that　larger　whole。







＇232＇　Crichton…Browne　expressly　says　that　Symonds's　〃highest



nerve　centres　were　in　some　degree　enfeebled　or　damaged　by　these



dreamy　mental　states　which　afflicted　him　so　grievously。〃　　　



Symonds　was；　however；　a　perfect　monster　of　many…sided　cerebral



efficiency；　and　his　critic　gives　no　objective　grounds　whatever



for　his　strange　opinion；　save　that　Symonds　complained



occasionally；　as　all　susceptible　and　ambitious　men　complain；　of



lassitude　and　uncertainty　as　to　his　life's　mission。















Nitrous　oxide　and　ether；　especially　nitrous　oxide；　when



sufficiently　diluted　with　air；　stimulate　the　mystical



consciousness　in　an　extraordinary　degree。　　Depth　beyond　depth　of



truth　seems　revealed　to　the　inhaler。　　This　truth　fades　out；



however；　or　escapes；　at　the　moment　of　coming　to；　and　if　any　words



remain　over　in　which　it　seemed　to　clothe　itself；　they　prove　to　be



the　veriest　nonsense。　　Nevertheless；　the　sense　of　a　profound



meaning　having　been　there　persists；　and　I　know　more　than　one



person　who　is　persuaded　that　in　the　nitrous　oxide　trance　we　have



a　genuine　metaphysical　revelation。







Some　years　ago　I　myself　made　some　observations　on　this　aspect　of



nitrous　oxide　intoxication；　and　reported　them　in　print。　　One



conclusion　was　forced　upon　my　mind　at　that　time；　and　my



impression　of　its　truth　has　ever　since　remained　unshaken。　　It　is



that　our　normal　waking　consciousness；　rational　consciousness　as



we　call　it；　is　but　one　special　type　of　consciousness；　whilst　all



about　it；　parted　from　it　by　the　filmiest　of　screens；　there　lie



potential　forms　of　consciousness　entirely　different。　　We　may　go



through　life　without　suspecting　their　existence；　but　apply　the



requisite　stimulus；　and　at　a　touch　they　are　there　in　all　their



completeness；　definite　types　of　mentality　which　probably



somewhere　have　their　field　of　application　and　adaptation。　　No



account　of　the　universe　in　its　totality　can　be　final　which　leaves



these　other　forms　of　consciousness　quite　disregarded。　　How　to



regard　them　is　the　questionfor　they　are　so　discontinuous　with



ordinary　consciousness。　　Yet　they　may　determine　attitudes　though



they　cannot　furnish　formulas；　and　open　a　region　though　they　fail



to　give　a　map。　At　any　rate；　they　forbid　a　premature　closing　of



our



accounts　with　reality。　　Looking　back　on　my　own　experiences；　they



all　converge　towards　a　kind　of　insight　to　which　I　cannot　help



ascribing　some　metaphysical　significance。　　The　keynote　of　it　is



invariably　a　reconciliation。　　It　is　as　if　the　opposites　of　the



world；　whose　contradictoriness　and　conflict　make　all　our



difficulties　and　troubles；　were　melted　into　unity。　　Not　only　do



they；　as　contrasted　species；　belong　to　one　and　the　same　genus；



but　one　of　the　species；　the　nobler　and　better　one；　is　itself　the



genus；　and　so　soaks　up　and　absorbs　its　opposite　into　itself。　



This　is　a　dark　saying；　I　know；　when　thus　expressed　in　terms　of



common　logic；　but　I　cannot　wholly　escape　from　its　authority。　I



feel　as　if　it　must　mean　something；　something　like　what　the



hegelian　philosophy　means；　if　one　could　only　lay　hold　of　it　more



clearly。　　Those　who　have　ears　to　hear；　let　them　hear；　to　me　the



living　sense　of　its　reality　only　comes　in　the　artificial　mystic



state　of　mind。＇233＇







＇233＇　What　reader　of　Hegel　can　doubt　that　that　sense　of　a



perfected　Being　with　all　its　otherness　soaked　up　into　itself；



which　dominates　his　whole　philosophy；　must　have　come　from　the



prominence　in　his　consciousness　of　mystical　moods　like　this；　in



most　persons　kept　subliminal？　　The　notion　is　thoroughly



characteristic　of　the　mystical　level　and　the　Aufgabe　of　making　it



articulate　was　surely　set　to　Hegel's　intellect　by　mystical