the unknown guest-第29章

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n；　guiding　our　destiny；　that　we　should　strive　to　surprise　that　mystery　and　to　discover　it。　And　I　am　not　speaking　only　of　the　dreams；　the　presumptions；　the　vague　intuitions；　the　room　or　less　brilliant　inspirations　which　are　so　many　more　manifestations；　specific　as　it　were　and　analogous　with　those　that　have　occupied　us。　There　is　another；　a　more　secret　and　much　more　active　existence　which　we　have　scarcely　begun　to　study　and　which　is；　if　we　descend　to　the　bed…rock　of　truth；　our　only　real　existence。　From　the　darkest　corners　of　our　ego　it　directs　our　veritable　life；　the　one　that　is　not　to　die；　and　pays　no　heed　to　our　thought　or　to　anything　emanating　from　our　reason；　which　believes　that　it　guides　nor　steps。　It　alone　knows　the　long　past　that　preceded　our　birth　and　the　endless　future　that　will　follow　our　departure　from　this　earth。　It　is　itself　that　future　and　that　past；　all　those　from　whom　we　have　sprung　and　all　those　who　will　spring　from　us。　It　represents　the　individual　not　only　the　species　but　that　which　preceded　it　and　that　which　will　follow　it；　and　it　has　neither　beginning　nor　end：　that　is　why　nothing　touches　it；　nothing　moves　it　which　does　not　concern　that　which　it　represents。　When　a　misfortune　or　a　joy　befall　us；　it　knows　their　value　instantly；　knows　if　they　are　going　to　open　or　to　dose　the　wells　of　life。　It　is　the　one　thing　that　is　never　wrong。　In　vain　does　reason　demonstrate　to　it；　by　irresistible　arguments；　that　it　is　hopelessly　at　fault：　silent　under　its　immovable　mask；　whose　expression　we　have　not　yet　been　able　to　react　it　pursues　its　way。　It　treats　us　as　insignificant　children；　void　of　understanding；　never　answers　our　objections；　refuses　what　we　ask　and　lavishes　upon　us　that　which　we　refuse。　If　we　go　to　the　right；　it　reconducts　us　to　the　left。　If　we　cultivate　this　or　that　faculty　which　we　think　that　we　possess　or　which　we　would　like　to　possess；　it　hides　it　under　some　other　which　we　did　not　expect　and　did　not　wish　for。　It　saves　us　from　a　danger　by　imparting　to　our　limbs　unforeseen　and　unerring　movements　and　actions　which　they　had　never　made　before　and　which　are　contrary　to　those　which　they　had　been　taught　to　make：　it　knows　that　the　hour　has　not　yet　come　when　it　will　be　useless　to　defend　ourselves。　It　chooses　our　love　in　spite　of　the　revolt　of　our　intelligence　or　of　our　poor；　ephemeral　heart。　It　smiles　when　we　are　frightened　and　sometimes　it　is　frightened　when　we　smile。　And　it　is　always　the　winner；　humiliating　our　reason；　crushing　our　wisdom　and　silencing　arguments　and　passions　alike　with　the　contemptuous　hand　of　destiny。　The　greatest　doctors　surround　our　sick…bed　and　deceive　themselves　and　us　in　foretelling　our　death　or　our　recovery：　it　alone　whispers　in　our　car　the　truth　that　will　not　be　denied。　A　thousand　apparently　mortal　blows　fall　upon　our　head　and　not　a　lash　of　its　eyelids　quivers；　but　suddenly　a　tiny　shock；　which　our　senses　had　not　even　transmitted　to　our　brain；　wakes　it　with　a　start。　It　sits　up；　looks　around　and　understands。　It　has　seen　the　crack　in　the　vault　that　separates　the　two　lives。　It　gives　the　signal　for　departure。　Forthwith　panic　spreads　from　cell　to　cell；　and　the　innumerous　city　that　we　are　utters　yells　of　horror　and　distress　and　hustles　around　the　gates　of　death。

9

That　great　figure；　that　new　being　has　been　there；　in　our　darkness；　from　all　time；　though　its　awkward　and　extravagant　actions；　until　recently　attributed　to　the　gods；　the　demons　or　the　dead；　am　only　now　asking　for　our　serious　attention。　It　has　been　likened　to　an　immense　block　of　which　our　personality　is　but　a　diminutive　facet；　to　an　iceberg　of　which　we　see　a　few　glistening　prisms　that　represent　our　life；　while　nine…tenths　of　the　enormous　mass　remain　buried　in　the　shadows　of　the　sea。　According　to　Sir　Oliver　Lodge；　it　is　that　part　of　our　being　that　has　not　become　carnate；　according　to　Gustave　Le　Bon；　it　is　the　〃condensed〃　soul　of　our　ancestors；　which　is　true；　beyond　a　doubt；　but　only　a　part　of　the　truth；　for　we　find　in　it　also　the　soul　of　the　future　and　probably　of　many　other　forces　which　are　not　necessarily　human。　William　James　saw　in　it　a　diffuse　cosmic　consciousness　and　the　chance　intrusion　into　our　scientifically　organized　world　of　remnants　and　bestiges　of　the　primordial　chaos。　Here　are　a　number　of　images　striving　to　give　us　an　idea　of　a　reality　so　vast　that　we　are　unable　to　grasp　it。　It　is　certain　that　what　we　see　from　our　terrestrial　life　is　nothing　compared　with　what　we　do　not　see。　Besides；　if　we　think　of　it；　it　would　be　monstrous　and　inexplicable　that　we　should　be　only　what　we　appear　to　be；　nothing　but　ourselves；　whole　and　complete　in　ourselves；　separated；　isolated；　circumscribed　by　our　body；　our　mind；　our　consciousness；　our　birth　and　our　death。　We　become　possible　and　probable　only　on　the　conditions　that　we　project　beyond　ourselves　on　every　side　and　that　we　stretch　in　every　direction　throughout　time　and　space。

10

But　how　shall　we　explain　the　incredible　contrast　between　the　immeasurable　grandeur　of　our　unknown　guest；　the　assurance；　the　calmness；　the　gravity　of　the　inner　life　which　it　leads　in　us　and　the　puerile　and　sometimes　grotesque　incongruities　of　what　one　might　call　its　public　existence？　Inside　us；　it　is　the　sovereign　judge；　the　supreme　arbiter；　the　prophet；　almost　the　god　omnipotent；　outside　us；　from　the　moment　that　it　quits　its　shelter　and　manifests　itself　in　external　actions；　it　is　nothing　more　than　a　fortune…teller；　a　bone…setter；　a　sort　of　facetious　conjuror　or　telephone…operator；　I　was　on　the　verge　of　saying　a　mountebank　or　clown。　At　what　particular　instant　is　it　really　itself？　Is　it　seized　with　giddiness　when　it　leaves　its　lair？　Is　it　we　who　no　longer　hear　it；　who　no　longer　understand　it；　as　soon　as　it　ceases　to　speak　in　a　whisper　and　to　act　in　the　dark　recesses　of　our　life？　Are　we　in　regard　to　it　the　terrified　hive　invaded　by　a　huge　and　inexplicable　hand；　the　maddened　ant…hill　trampled　by　a　colossal　and　incomprehensible　foot？　Let　us　not　venture　yet　to　solve　the　strange　riddle　with　the　aid　of　the　little　that　we　know。　Let　us　confine　ourselves；　for　the　moment；　to　noting　on　the　way　some　other；　rather　easier　questions　which　we　can　at　least　try　to　answer。

First　of　all；　are　the　facts　at　issue　really　new？　Was　it　only　yesterday　that　the　existence　of　our　unknown　guest　and　its　external　manifestations　were　revealed　to　us？　Is　it　our　attention　that　makes　them　appear　more　numerous；　or　is　it　the　increase　in　their　number　that　at　last　attracts　out　attention？

It　does　indeed　seem　that；　however　far　we　go　back　in　history；　we　everywhere　find　the　same　extraordinary　phenomena；　under　other　names　and　often　in　a　more　glamorous　setting。　Oracles；　prophecies；　incantations；　haruspication；　〃possession；〃　evocation　of　the　dead；　apparitions；　ghosts；　miraculous　cures；　levitation；　transmission　of　thought；　apparent　resurrections　and　the　rest　are　the　exact　equivalent；　though　magnified　by　the　aid　of　plentiful　and　obvious　frauds　of　our　latter…day　supernaturalism。　Turning　in　another　direction；　we　are　able　to　see　that　psychical　phenomena　are　very　evenly　distributed　over　the　whole　surface　of　the　globe。　At　all　events；　there　does　not　appear　to　be　any　race　that　is　absolutely　or　peculiarly　refractory　to　them。　One　would　be　inclined　to　say；　however；　that　they　manifest　themselves　by　preference　among　the　most　civilized　nationsperhaps　because　that　is　where　they　are　most　carefully　sought　afterand　among　the　most　primitive。　In　short；　it　cannot　be　denied　that　we　are　in　the　presence　of　faculties　or　senses；　more　or　less　latent　but　at　the　same　time　universally　distributed；　which　form　part　of　the　general　and　unvarying　inheritance　of　mankind。　But　have　these　faculties　or　senses　undergone　evolution；　like　most　of　the　others？　And；　if　they　have　not　done　so　on　our　earth；　do　they　show　traces　of　an　extraplanetary　evolution？　Is　there　progress　or　reaction？　Are　they　withered　and　useless　branches；　or　buds　swollen　with　sap　and　promise？　Are　they　retreating　before　the　march　of　intelligence　or　invading　its　domain？


11

M。　Ernest　Bozzano；　one　of　the　most　learned；　most　daring　and　most　subtle　exponents　of　the　new　science　that　is　in　process　of　formation；　in　the　course　of　a　remarkable　essay　in　the　Annales　des　sciences　psychiques；＇1＇　gives　it　as　his　opinion　that　they　have　remained　stationary　and　unchanged。　He　considers　that　they　have　become　in　no　way　diffused；　generalized　and　refined；　like　so　many　others　that　are　much　less　important　and　useful　from　the　point　of　view　of　the　struggle　for　life；　such　as　the　musical　faculty；　for　instance。　It　does　not　even　seem；　says　M。　Bozzano；　that　it　is　possible　to　cultivate　or　develop　them　systematically。　The　Hindu　race　in　particular；　who　for　thousands　of　years　have　been　devoting　themselves　to　the　study　of　these　manifestations；　have　arrived　at　nothing　but　a　better　knowledge　of　the　empirical　methods　calculated　to　produce　them　in　individuals　already　endowed　with　these　supernormal　faculties。　I　do　not　know　to　what　extent　M。　Bozzano's　assertions　are　beyond　dispute。　They　concern　historical　or　remote　facts　which　it　is　very　difficult　to　verify。　In　any　case；　it　is　something　to　have　perfected　；　as　has　been　done　in　India；　the　empirical　methods　favourable　to　the　production　of　supernormal　phenomena。　One　might　even　say　that　it　is　about　all　that　we　have　the　right　to　expect；　seeing　that；　by　the　author's　own　admission；　these　faculties　are　latent　in　every　man　and　that；　as　has　frequently　been　seen；　it　needs　but　an　illness；　a　lesion；　or　sometimes　even　the　slightest　emotion　or　a　mere　passing　faintness　to　make　them　suddenly　reveal　themselves　in　an　individual　who　seemed　most　hopelessly　devoid　of　them。　It　is　therefore　quite　possible　that；　by　improving　the　methods；　by　attacking　the　mystery　from　other　quarters；　we　might　obtain　more　decisive　results　than　the　Hindus。　We　must　remember　that　our　western　science　has　but　lately　interested　itself　in　these　problems　and　that　it　has　means　of　investigating　and　experimenting　which　the　Asiatics　never　possessed。　It　may　even　be　declared　that　at　no　time　in　the　existence　of　our　world　has　the　scientific　mind　been　better…equipped；　better…suited　to　cope　with　every　task；　or　more　exact；　more　skilful　and　more　penetrating　than　it　is　today。　Because　the　oriental　empirics　have　failed；　there　is　no　reason　to　believe　that　it　will　not　succeed　in　awakening　and　cultivating　in　every　man　those　faculties　which　would　often　be　of　greater　use　to　him　than　those　of　the　intellect　itself。　It　is　not　overbold　to　suggest　that；　from　certain　points　of　view；　the　true　history　of　mankind　has　hardly　begun。

＇1＇　September；　1906。



12

Nevertheless；　in　so　far　as　concerns　the　natural　evolution　of　those　faculties；　M。　Bozzano's　assertion　seem　fairly　well…　justified。　We　do　not；　in　fact；　observe　a　startling　or　even　appreciable　difference　between　what　they　were　and　what　they　are。　And　this　anomaly　is　the　more　surprising　in　as　much　as　it　is　almost　universally　accepted　that　a　sense　or　a　faculty　becomes　developed　in　proportion　to　its　usefulness；　and　there　are　few；　I　think；　that　would　have　been　not　only　more　useful　but　even　more　necessary　to　man。　He　has　always　had　a　keen　and　primitive　interest　in　knowing　without　delay　the　most　secret　thoughts　of　his　fellow…man；　who　is　often　his　adversary　and　sometimes　his　mortal　enemy。　He　has　always　had　an　interest　no　less　great　in　immediately　transmitting　those　thoughts　thro