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Next to the theologic idea of the soul, we come to some philosophic speculations, amongst which I will only briefly notice that of transmigration. The chief feature of this belief is the notion that the soul goes through many metamorphoses, and is incarnated many times, until purified of its earthly passions and desires. In considering this hypothesis, we first note that it contains the idea of growth and development, and in so far harmonises with the analogies which we see around us in nature. But what is it based on? Not certainly upon our ordinary consciousness, to which in fact it is entirely opposed. We have no recollection of any former life. It must be supposed, therefore, that each incarnation of the soul is a kind of sleep; that the soul is | Next to the theologic idea of the soul, we come to some philosophic speculations, amongst which I will only briefly notice that of transmigration. The chief feature of this belief is the notion that the soul goes through many metamorphoses, and is incarnated many times, until purified of its earthly passions and desires. In considering this hypothesis, we first note that it contains the idea of growth and development, and in so far harmonises with the analogies which we see around us in nature. But what is it based on? Not certainly upon our ordinary consciousness, to which in fact it is entirely opposed. We have no recollection of any former life. It must be supposed, therefore, that each incarnation of the soul is a kind of sleep; that the soul is | ||
<center> | <center> “Moving about in worlds not realised;”</center> | ||
{{Style P-No indent|and that the experience of earthly life, on the awakening of the soul after death, is remembered as a kind of dream. To my mind, this militates against the usefulness of the process. But what grounds are there for believing that such a process takes place? I know of only two—and no doubt, if wrong, I shall be corrected—these are (1) the teachings of spirits; (2) “those shadowy recollections” of another state of existence, which Wordsworth has described as}} | {{Style P-No indent|and that the experience of earthly life, on the awakening of the soul after death, is remembered as a kind of dream. To my mind, this militates against the usefulness of the process. But what grounds are there for believing that such a process takes place? I know of only two—and no doubt, if wrong, I shall be corrected—these are (1) the teachings of spirits; (2) “those shadowy recollections” of another state of existence, which Wordsworth has described as}} | ||
<center> | <center>“The fountain light of all our day.”</center> | ||
{{Style P-No indent|As regards the former and the latter, I will only say that in both cases the ''raison d'etre ''of the belief may be real, while the belief itself is not formally accurate. In a recent number of ''The Spiritualist, ''Mr. Alfred Russel Wallace has expounded a theory on this subject which contains valuable suggestions. To my mind, the theory of reincarnation, as propounded by Allan Kardec, presents these difficulties:—}} | {{Style P-No indent|As regards the former and the latter, I will only say that in both cases the ''raison d'etre ''of the belief may be real, while the belief itself is not formally accurate. In a recent number of ''The Spiritualist, ''Mr. Alfred Russel Wallace has expounded a theory on this subject which contains valuable suggestions. To my mind, the theory of reincarnation, as propounded by Allan Kardec, presents these difficulties:—}} | ||