No man can be self-conscious of any other state of existence than the one in which he for the time being exists.[1]
BY means of perceiving with our external or internal senses we may become conscious of the presence of beings differing in their qualities from our own, but we cannot be self-conscious of the true nature of their existence unless we ourselves enter the state in which they exist. The animal elements in man can realize nothing above the animal plane of existence until they cease to be animal and become human or divine; only the human elements in the constitution of man can form a true conception of humanity; only the divine principle in man can become self-conscious of that which is divine, because it exists itself in that state.
Any one may form an opinion about that which is above his knowledge; but to obtain self-consciousness and self-knowledge of a higher state of existence there is no other way but to enter that state; and no one enters a higher state as long as he remains in a lower one, nor can any one enter a higher state unless he has the power to do so. To merely imagine that one knows a thing is not actual knowledge; to fancy that one is united with Brahm is not actual conscious unification with Him. A merely imaginary state may appear to be a reality, but it is nevertheless imaginary after all.
Note.—By the sense of sight we may perceive the forms and external qualities of beings that approach us or conte within our sphere, but only by the sense of interior feeling can we become self-conscious of their true nature. We may become conscious of heat, light, sound, electricity, magnetism, life, thought, will, etc., because these activities existing beyond our sphere may induce corresponding vibrations within our own organism. There are sensitive persons who can feel the presence of a mineral or metal, because the same mineral- or metal-principles exist in their own constitution; there are others in whom the animal elements may feel the presence of a corresponding animal even in the dark; in a sensitive person the unseen presence of another person may induce sympathetic or antipathetic vibrations that may come to his consciousness; the evil elements in man will co-vibrate in the presence of evil, and that which is divine in man can recognize that which is divine in all things. Love or hate may induce vibrations of love or hate in another person; the thoughts of one person may induce similar thoughts in the mind of another who is in harmonious relation with him, the life of a healthy person may induce healthy life-action in another, and the will of one may give a similar direction to the will of another. Each particle of the microcosm of man has its own state of being, either unconscious, semi-conscious, conscious, or self-conscious, and the sum and substance of these various states of consciousness produce the ever-changing and illusive self-consciousness of individual man; but the real universal self-consciousness, that can be realized only by those who have become regenerated in the spirit, is beyond the comprehension of those elements in man which have not yet attained that state. He who has not yet attained conscious immortality asks for logical proofs why he should believe that the spirit of man is immortal. He in whom the spirit has become self-conscious of its own immortality requires no other proof; he knows that he is immortal because he is in possession of such a knowledge, he knows that truth which is self-existent in him. But man does not obtain conscious immortality by merely imagining that he is in possession of it, nor does he acquire any spiritual powers by fancying that he has them already acquired. Imaginary knowledge, love, will, etc., are not real things, they exist merely in the imagination. Real spiritual powers are self-existent and independent of the imagination of man. Such powers are love, faith, hope, patience, free will, etc., all culminating in divine wisdom; they are not created, but may be obtained by man by spiritual exercise, and spiritual exercise means the exercise of these spiritual powers. The exercise of an imaginary power can have only an imaginary result. True spiritual powers produce true results, but they cannot be effectually used by man before e has attained possession of them.
No one is in possession of any other power but that which he possesses.
Not in the shadowy realm of external or internal illusions, only at the innermost centre of our own being can we find the divine power from which all our powers originate. Not in temples and sacred books must we look for the knowledge of God. He in whom the divine spirit has attained self-knowledge will recognize God in everything; he who cannot find God within his own self will find Him nowhere in the universe.
To know the powers that exist in ourselves we must look for them within ourselves; no one can find his own perfection anywhere but within himself; only when he has attained a certain degree of perfection can he recognize in others the same degree. It is far more important to attain self-knowledge than to attempt to borrow the knowledge of others. Why should we trouble ourselves so much to learn whether a man is perfect or imperfect, as long as we have no perfection ourselves? Why should we be so anxious to know what this or that man knows or is imagined to know, as long as we do not know ourselves? Only that which we realize ourselves constitutes our real self-knowledge.
Note.—All natural forms grow from a centre, all powers have one common origin. That which exists beyond us does not belong to us as long as it has not come into our possession. From the spark of divine fire existing in the centre of man’s constitution originate all his powers, intellectual, emotional and physical motion. Money, fame, social position and other external things do not constitute the real power of man; it is they who exercise their powers through him who enters into their possession. By their connection with him they endow him temporarily with certain powers, which he imagines to be his own; but if that connection is broken, that imaginary power departs. He who depends for power on external conditions is dependent on these conditions; he who can unconditionally control the powers that exist in himself is in possession of real power; he is his own master and free. Real knowledge is independent of the opinions of others; free will is one with the law; real love is always free and not bound by any selfish desire; real patience does not need to be kept alive with false hopes, and real hope and faith are coexistent with knowledge.
There are very few people who are in possession of knowledge, the vast majority imagine they know, but live only in the realm of opinion. Our age claims to treat mere belief with contempt, and nevertheless nearly all its so-called knowledge is nothing else but belief, resting upon certain theories which are accepted as being self-evident.
Science says; There are certain things which you cannot see, and which we ask you to believe. We give you certain reasons why you should believe what we say; we give you logical deductions in the place of direct perception. We give you reasons why you should believe in the existence of truths which you cannot know by the power of direct perception, because you do not possess that power.
One of the fundamental doctrines upon which our science is based, is that things actually are what they appear to be. We know of no other world but the world of phenomena, and imagining these phenomena to be realities we believe ourselves to be in the possession of real knowledge.
Religion says: We ask you to believe what we say, and we decline to give you any satisfactory’ reasons for it, because the things in which we ask you to believe are beyond your understanding. As God has not revealed Himself to you, you must believe in Him because it is said that He has revealed Himself to others. To believe in God it is necessary that you should believe in the veracity of our statement. Your faith in God depends on the amount of faith you put in the trustworthiness of your minister.
Wisdom says: I teach you nothing except my own being. Take me in your possession and you will know all that is worth knowing. If you are now blind and in darkness, try to open your eyes and to see for yourself; the light is around you and in you and everywhere; all that you have to do is to make yourself receptive for it. Let the truth identify itself with your being; you will then know’ it and be able to dispense with your logic; learn to see by the light of reason, and your speculation and theories will become useless to you; if the eternal truths are now beyond your understanding, learn to know that which is divine and eternal in yourself, and through it you will come to its understanding.
Words and letters are shadows; wisdom is light. He who speaks much wastes much force; he who absorbs wisdom gains power. The intellect is the shadow of the light of intelligence, it deals only with shadows as long as it is not illuminated by wisdom. Reason requires no arguments, it knows because it is, and it is because it knows itself.
To be perfect, that which is already perfect requires no change, but that which is imperfect requires to be changed.
God, i.e., the absolute in its aspect as absolute perfection is what it is and does not need to become. Being self-existent, eternal and universal, it is independent of any external conditions, if such conditions were imaginable where God includes the all and where there can therefore be nothing external. The one is the all in which everything exists and there can be no outside to it, for if there were anything outside the all, the all would not be what it is. Everything exists in the one and is a manifestation of the one beyond which nothing exists; but not in everything is a manifestation of the absolute perfection of the one, because perfection cannot manifest itself fully in imperfect forms. The absolute is independent of conditions, but its manifestations depend on conditions. The one manifests itself in a stone as a stone, in a plant as a plant, in an animal as an animal, in a man as a man, in a God as a God, in a devil as a devil. The one in its own essence is unchangeable, but the forms of his activities and manifestations are subject to change, and a higher activity requires for its manifestation a more perfect form. Forms and activities change, but the centre in which is rest remains for ever unchanged.
Note.—If all that exists is one, then everything that exists in the one and seems to differ from other things therein can be nothing else but modifications of the original activity in the one within itself. These modifications are exceedingly numerous, and may take place unconsciously, consciously, or with self-consciousness, according to the conditions in which they are manifesting themselves; they may proceed in straight or curved lines, in circles or spirals, and in an endless variety of vibrations such as constitute the various unconscious, semiconscious, conscious, and self-conscious forces in nature: motion, heat, light, sound, electricity, magnetism, life, thought, will, love and wisdom, with all their inter-relations and correspondences. If a progressive vibration meets with an obstacle, its direction will be changed and if it is surrounded by obstacles from all sides, it will then necessarily move around its own centre and constitute a stationary’ vibration of the same eternal and universal substance, that is to say, an atom of matter.
A great many misconceptions arise continually from the old habit of looking upon matter and motion as if they were two essentially different things, instead of merely two aspects of the eternal one. Absolute rest is as unthinkable as absolute motion. Matter without motion is to the philosophically thinking mind as inconceivable as motion without substance. Matter, motion, and space cannot be conceived one without the other; they are eternally one; even the smallest atom of matter must have motion and extension and is subject to laws; or to express it in other words, even the smallest atom, as well as the greatest solar system, is an organized whole in which the eternal one manifests itself, and there can be nothing dead or immovable in the universe. There can be no absolute death or annihilation, for motion can never cease; it is self-existent with matter and space.
All forces in nature are modifications of that manifestation of the one which is called “motion”; all substances are modifications of that manifestation of the one which is called “matter.” All forms are instruments in and through which the one is manifesting itself. In an unconscious form the one manifests itself in an unconscious state, in a form capable to live as a living power, in a sensitive form as emotion, in the intellect as intelligence, in the wise as the light of wisdom. By improving the form we do not create a new force, we merely’ establish conditions under which the eternal one may manifest itself in a higher mode of action. The eternal one which may manifest itself as heat in a stone, as light in the fire, as magnetism in iron, may manifest itself as emotion in the soul, as thought in the mind, as self-knowledge in the spirit. All is essentially one, from mechanical motion up to intelligence and divine wisdom, only the modes of its manifestation differ from each other according to the prepared conditions. God is one and cannot be changed or improved by man, but man may prepare within himself the conditions so that God may manifest His divine power in him. For a higher manifestation of power a more perfect form is required, and therefore imperfect forms die, but that which is eternal and self-existent remains, because it is not its existence but merely its manifestation that depends on condition; it is itself unconditional, universal, and permanent.
F. Hartmann, M.D., F.T.S.
Notes:
[1] Self-Evident Truths and and Logical Deductions. F. Hartmann, M.D. Lucifer 10, no. 59 (July 1892), 373-377. {This article was reformatted from the original, but with the content unchanged other than fixing minor typos, by Robert Hutwohl, ©2025}