How The Mind Works
	The Within And The Without <  Previous Contents Next  >

It has been stated that the average person is nine-tenths environment; that is, nine-tenths of his thoughts, ideas, desires and motives are suggested by environment, or created in the likeness of what he has come in contact with in the outer life; and this is largely true. He is therefore almost wholly patterned after the things that make up his surroundings, and instead of being himself is a reflection of his circumstances. That such a person can master himself and control his destiny is out of the question because we cannot control external things so long as we are almost entirely in the control of those things.

When we analyze this phase of human life we find that the multitudes float with the stream like dead logs; therefore can never go where they wish nor accomplish what they wish. However, no life is complete until we can have things the way we like; that is, until we can consciously change ourselves and our environments according to those higher views of life that we are constantly receiving as we promote our progress. For this reason we must find some way that will lead us out from the control of environment if we wish to live a complete life and a life really worth living.

To proceed we find the law to be that anything in the without that is permitted to impress its likeness upon the mind will influence character, conduct, thought, action and living. And when you give such impressions full right of way they will actually control your life, the reason for which has been explained in preceding chapters. To avoid this influence from environment therefore, we must refuse to receive impressions from without that we do not desire. But since the greater part of these impressions come unconsciously the question will be how to avoid them. This question, however, is answered through the understanding of the law of receptivity.

It is natural for the mind to receive impressions from the without. It is also necessary. That is what the senses are for. But it is not natural to absorb through the senses all sorts of impressions from everything with which we may come in contact. When such impressions are absorbed without discrimination and without our cognizance of the fact we have a mental state called unconscious receptivity, and this state is produced by a weak character.

But here we must remember that a weak character is not necessarily a bad character; because when you are very weak you may not even be able to do mischief. To be really bad you must be strong because a bad character is a strong mind misdirected, while a weak character is a negative sort of goodness, a goodness that means well but is wholly incompetent. What is called character is that quality of mind that discriminates, selects, chooses and holds in possession what has been selected.

Character therefore has two functions. The one selects the right and the other holds the mind in the right. When character is absent or so completely negative that it is almost wholly inactive it is not possible for, the mind to select the right or to hold the right. Such a mind will absorb nearly everything that environment may suggest and will therefore be a reflection of the present sphere of existence. Most minds have some character and therefore have a few ideas and motives of their own; they accordingly eliminate some of the undesirable impressions that may try to gain entrance to the mind. But we are all aware of the fact that the average person is entirely too much under the influence of those things that surround him. The majority are affected to a large extent by surroundings, climatic conditions and atmospheres in general, though it is a sign of weakness to be influenced in this manner. The coming and going of events and the opinions of others also play a very large part in molding the thought of most minds. But no mind should be modified by such influences unless he accepts those modifications by personal choice.

Every mind should be able to be himself, no matter what happens or fails to happen, and every mind should be able to think his own thought regardless of anyone's opinion on the subject. This, however, requires a strong character; that is, the ability to make your own selections and the power to stand by that which you have selected. The attitude of receptivity has frequently been looked upon as a weakness, but it is the lack of character in this connection that constitutes the weakness. Receptivity in itself is indispensable. There are any number of illustrations to prove this fact. The mind that is not receptive to the finer things of life, such as music, art, love, the beauties of nature and so on, has not begun to live. Without the attitude of receptivity, however, no one can respond to anything.

But here we must remember that in becoming receptive we should train ourselves to respond only to such things as we consciously select. The most receptive mind has the greatest opportunities for enjoyment as well as for the increase of wisdom. But this receptivity must be guided, and character alone can do this. Receptivity must be employed consciously only, and unconscious receptivity must be entirely avoided.

The mind must be able to use consciously that to which it wishes to respond, and must also be able to respond perfectly when the choice is made. When such an attainment is secured you will always be yourself, you will never be influenced by anything but your own thought and you will get many times as much enjoyment out of those things of life that you are able to appreciate. And the path to such an attainment is a strong, highly developed character.

Continuing this study of man, and man's relations to his surroundings, we meet a metaphysical law of extreme importance, and it may be stated as follows: Man's welfare depends upon what he does in the within and how he relates himself to the without. The related to everything in life; and what is more it is absolutely necessary.

When true harmony is absent full expression is prevented, and since it is the bringing forth of the best alone that can give us the best, we find that the full expression of what is in us becomes indispensable to our highest welfare.

What we do in the within makes us what we are. And how we are related to the without determines what we are to receive from the world. When we do much in the within we become much, and the more we can accomplish and attain, or create, in our sphere of action. When we are properly related to the world we receive the very best from the world, that is, the best that we can appropriate, appreciate and use now. We can all understand therefore why man's welfare depends upon what he does in the within and how he relates himself to the without. However, to promote constructive action in the within we must learn to apply the law of growth in every part of the human mind, and we find that all growth and development is preceded by the expansion of consciousness. To expand consciousness therefore becomes one of the great essentials in everything that may pertain to perfect advancement and higher welfare.

Mental growth involves three stages -unfoldment, development and cultivation; and in each stage new fields of action are appropriated. Whenever anything in the life of an individual is enlarged a new field of activity has been entered. Unfoldment is the bringing out into a larger sphere that which previously occupied a smaller sphere.

Development is the multiplying of modes of action. And cultivation is the perfecting of those channels or vehicles through which the various modes of action may find expression. The term development is usually employed to cover the entire process because it merges with unfoldment on the subjective side and with cultivation on the objective side. Therefore when used by itself the entire process of growth is implied.

Since development in any sphere cannot take place until consciousness has been expanded in that sphere no process or system of development is complete until provided with practical methods for promoting such expansion. This being true we see how inadequate modern systems of training must be; and accordingly it is not difficult to find numerous reasons why the race is not more highly developed. However, any process of development will expand consciousness in a measure, provided the desire for expansion is held in mind when such a process is employed. But this desire must be present and must be very strong.

To try to feel the life of all life, or rather to place mind in conscious contact with all existence, will also promote the same purpose to a degree because in this attitude the mind actually transcends present limitations. In fact all limitations are eliminated in this way and the mind is set free to enter new regions whenever it may desire. This method, however, must be employed with wisdom and perfect self-control. There are many minds who have recently set themselves free from all limitations of consciousness through the exercise of universal sympathy; but not all have gained anything thereby. A few have been afraid to venture beyond what they already felt to be substantial, while others have roamed here and there and everywhere on the borderland of the unknown, wasting their energies in search of pastures green. They have had no definite aim except to find the new, and therefore have accomplished nothing. For the fact is that to find the new is not all that is necessary. When we find the new we must stop there awhile and get out of it what it may contain.

As a rule the imagination runs wild after limitations of consciousness have been removed, and only fragmentary impressions are gained whenever a slight pause for observation may be taken when in the midst of these new fields. The result is, ideas and conclusions that have no foundation whatever, or opinions that seemed plausible to the one that produced them, but wholly devoid of truth, in fact mere freaks of aimless creative power. And it is a well-known fact that such creations are entirely too numerous in the mental world at the present time. Imagination is a splendid servant, but as a master it will invariably lead you into chaos. And in the expansion of consciousness imagination is liable to take the lead unless controlled, because at such times it becomes intensely active.

To control the imagination at such times we should not permit it to do anything but construct the more perfect mental images according to such principles of life as have proven themselves to be scientifically true. The imagination should never be permitted to roam aimlessly. Whenever employed it should be put to work on something definite that you are resolved to perfect or work out.

Do not accept every new mental image as an exact truth, for a truth is usually represented by a large group of mental images. But such images cannot properly group themselves until the mind gets down to sound, rational and analytical thinking. It can therefore be stated as a fact that no mind really understands new ideas until its thinking concerning those ideas has been reduced to a system.

In order to expand consciousness in any sphere, after the limitations of that sphere have been eliminated, the imagination must be controlled and the feeling of real life intensified. A highly active imagination, however, must be avoided because new ideas created by an act of the imagination does not necessarily indicate the expansion of consciousness because an active imagination is not always deep. It usually skims the surface or acts on the borderland of new fields and generally acts in the most haphazard manner. It is the quiet orderly imagination combined with deep feeling that indicates expansion of consciousness, and that actually creates new ideas that are really true as well as of actual worth.

When we proceed to expand consciousness we find that consciousness will not enter the new field until the faculty of interior insight has established the reality of that field. In other words, we must discern that the larger mental world is real before consciousness will proceed to work itself out into that larger world. For this reason we realize that all great minds must of necessity have interior insight, or that something within them that reveals the fact that the larger field is also solid ground.

The man who attempts great undertakings usually does so because he feels within him that success will crown his efforts. Something has told him that he can move out upon the beyond of present thought and action without any fear whatever. To the senses the new realms may look empty, and to venture on may appear to be nothing more than a wild leap into the fathomless abyss of utter destruction; but interior insight takes a different view. This superior sight can see further and knows that the seeming void of the larger conscious field is actually solid rock. It also knows that this seeming void is rich with possibilities, many of which can be worked out in practical life now.

Interior insight may be defined as faith taking shape and form for practical action.

Faith itself is a mental state that dwells constantly on the borderland of the unknown, while interior insight is a mental faculty the function of which is to examine things at a long range. Farsightedness among practical men of affairs is the same thing, and is one of the chief secrets of success in all-important undertakings. Interior insight may be called the telescope of the human mind, and the more perfectly it is developed the better you understand the greater possibilities as well as the difficulties that lie before you.

It is therefore evident that when you have this insight you will know not only how to proceed, but also how to deal with those things that you know you will meet in your advancement toward greater achievements. When equipped with a well developed faculty of this kind you will know what to do to make all personal actions work together for the speedy realization of the greater things in store. In other words, you can plan ahead to advantage and you can turn all effort, thought and attention in the right direction. Many a time we fail to see the great opportunities that are almost within reach and instead of working up to them as we should if we saw them, we turn our efforts into channels that have practically nothing for us. Millions of mistakes of this kind have been made, but all of them could have been avoided through the use of interior insight.

According to the fact under consideration this insight must establish the reality of a new field before consciousness will naturally expand in that direction; that is, it must prove to the mind that the new field is substantial and full of possibilities. The development of interior insight is therefore absolutely necessary to the promotion of all other kinds of development and without it neither great attainments nor great achievements are possible. But with it there is no mental field, however large or marvelous, that the mind may not finally enter, explore, acquire and possess.