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them； and it appeared as if I heard their greeting： 'Thou too
belongest to the company of those who overcome。'〃＇239＇
＇239＇ Memoiren einer Idealistin； Ste Auflage； 1900； iii。 166。
For years she had been unable to pray； owing to materialistic
belief。
The well known passage from Walt Whitman is a classical
expression of this sporadic type of mystical experience。
〃I believe in you； my Soul 。 。 。
Loaf with me on the grass； loose the stop from your throat；。 。 。
Only the lull I like； the hum of your valved voice。
I mind how once we lay； such a transparent summer morning。
Swiftly arose and spread around me the peace and knowledge
that pass all the argument of the earth；
And I know that the hand of God is the promise of my own；
And I know that the spirit of God is the brother of my own；
And that all the men ever born are also my brothers and the
women my sisters and lovers；
And that a kelson of the creation is love。〃＇240＇
＇240＇ Whitman in another place expresses in a quieter way what
was probably with him a chronic mystical perception： 〃There is；〃
he writes； 〃apart from mere intellect； in the make…up of every
superior human identity； a wondrous something that realizes
without argument； frequently without what is called education
（though I think it the goal and apex of all education deserving
the name）； an intuition of the absolute balance； in time and
space； of the whole of this multifariousness this revel of fools；
and incredible make…believe and general unsettiedness； we call
THE WORLD； a soul…sight of that divine clue and unseen thread
which holds the whole congeries of things； all history and time；
and all events； however trivial； however momentous； like a
leashed dog in the hand of the hunter。 ＇Of＇ such soul…sight and
root…centre for the mind mere optimism explains only the
surface。〃 Whitman charges it against Carlyle that he lacked this
perception。 Specimen Days and Collect； Philadelphia； 1882； p。
174。
I could easily give more instances； but one will suffice。 I take
it from the Autobiography of J。 Trevor。＇241＇
＇241＇ My Quest for God； London； 1897； pp。 268； 269； abridged。
〃One brilliant Sunday morning； my wife and boys went to the
Unitarian Chapel in Macclesfield。 I felt it impossible to
accompany themas though to leave the sunshine on the hills； and
go down there to the chapel； would be for the time an act of
spiritual suicide。 And I felt such need for new inspiration and
expansion in my life。 So； very reluctantly and sadly； I left my
wife and boys to go down into the town； while I went further up
into the hills with my stick and my dog。 In the loveliness of
the morning； and the beauty of the hills and valleys； I soon lost
my sense of sadness and regret。 For nearly an hour I walked
along the road to the 'Cat and Fiddle；' and then returned。 On
the way back； suddenly； without warning； I felt that I was in
Heavenan inward state of peace and joy and assurance
indescribably intense； accompanied with a sense of being bathed
in a warm glow of light； as though the external condition had
brought about the internal effecta feeling of having passed
beyond the body； though the scene around me stood out more
clearly and as if nearer to me than before； by reason of the
illumination in the midst of which I seemed to be placed。 This
deep emotion lasted； though with decreasing strength； until I
reached home； and for some time after； only gradually passing
away。〃
The writer adds that having had further experiences of a similar
sort； he now knows them well。
〃The spiritual life；〃 he writes； 〃justifies itself to those who
live it； but what can we say to those who do not understand？
This； at least； we can say； that it is a life whose experiences
are proved real to their possessor； because they remain with him
when brought closest into contact with the objective realities of
life。 Dreams cannot stand this test。 We wake from them to find
that they are but dreams。 Wanderings of an overwrought brain do
not stand this test。 These highest experiences that I have had
of God's presence have been rare and briefflashes of
consciousness which have compelled me to exclaim with
surpriseGod is HERE！or conditions of exaltation and insight；
less intense； and only gradually passing away。 I have severely
questioned the worth of these moments。 To no soul have I named
them； lest I should be building my life and work on mere
phantasies of the brain。 But I find that； after every
questioning and test； they stand out to…day as the most real
experiences of my life； and experiences which have explained and
justified and unified all past experiences and all past growth。
Indeed； their reality and their far…reaching significance are
ever becoming more clear and evident。 When they came； I was
living the fullest； strongest； sanest； deepest life。 I was not
seeking them。 What I was seeking； with resolute determination；
was to live more intensely my own life； as against what I knew
would be the adverse judgment of the world。 It was in the most
real seasons that the Real Presence came； and I was aware that I
was immersed in the infinite ocean of God。〃＇242＇
＇242＇ Op。 cit。； pp。 256； 257； abridged。
Even the least mystical of you must by this time be convinced of
the existence of mystical moments as states of consciousness of
an entirely specific quality； and of the deep impression which
they make on those who have them。 A Canadian psychiatrist； Dr。
R。 M。 Bucke； gives to the more distinctly characterized of these
phenomena the name of cosmic consciousness。 〃Cosmic
consciousness in its more striking instances is not；〃 Dr。 Bucke
says； 〃simply an expansion or extension of the self…conscious
mind with which we are all familiar； but the superaddition of a
function as distinct from any possessed by the average man as
SELF…consciousness is distinct from any function possessed by one
of the higher animals。〃
〃The prime characteristic of cosmic consciousness is a
consciousness of the cosmos； that is； of the life and order of
the universe。 Along with the consciousness of the cosmos there
occurs an intellectual enlightenment which alone would place the
individual on a new plane of existencewould make him almost a
member of a new species。 To this is added a state of moral
exaltation； an indescribable feeling of elevation； elation； and
jo