The question may arise in the student's mind: How can we review
our past life from[pg 154]the cradle to the grave when we do not even remember what we did a month
ago, and to form a proper basis for our future life, this record ought to be very accurate,
but even the best memory is faulty? When we understand the difference between the conscious
and sub-conscious memory and the manner in which the latter operates, the difficulty
vanishes. This difference and the manner in which the sub-conscious memory keeps an accurate
record of our life experiences may be best understood by an illustration, as follows: When
we go into a field and view the surrounding landscape, vibrations in the ether carry to us a
picture of everything within the range of our vision. It is as sad as it is true however,
that “we have eyes and see not,” as the Savior said. These
vibrations impinge upon the retina of our eyes, even to the very smallest details, but they
usually do not penetrate to our consciousness, and therefore are not remembered. Even the
most powerful impressions fade in course of time so that we cannot call them back at will
when they are stored in our conscious memory.
When a photographer goes afield with his camera the results
which he obtains are different.[pg 155]The ether vibrations emanating from all things upon which his camera is
focused, transmit to the sensitive plate an impression of the landscape true to the minutest
detail, and, mark this well, this true and accurate picture is in no wise dependent upon
whether the photographer is observant or not. It will remain upon the plate and may be
reproduced under proper conditions. Such is the subconscious memory, and it is generated
automatically by each of us during every moment of time, independently of our volition, in
the following manner.
From the first breath which we draw after birth to our last dying
gasp, we inspire air which is charged with pictures of our surroundings, and the same ether
which carries that picture to the retina of our eye, is inhaled into our lungs where it
enters the blood. Thus it reaches the heart in due time. In the left ventricle of that
organ, near the apex, there is one little atom which is particularly sensitized, and which
remains in the body all through life. It differs in this respect from all other atoms which
come and go, for it is the particular property of God, and of a certain spirit. This atom
may be called the book of the Recording Angel, for[pg 156]as the blood passes through the heart, cycle after cycle, the pictures of
our good and evil acts are inscribed thereon to the minutest detail. This record may be
called the sub-conscious memory. It forms the basis of our future life when reproduced as a
panorama just subsequent to death. By removal of the seed atom—which corresponds to the
sensitized plate in a camera,—the reflecting ether of the vital body serves as a focus, and
as the life unrolls slowly backwards from death to birth the pictures thereof are etched
into the desire body which will be our vehicle during our sojourn in purgatory and the first
heaven where evil is eradicated and good assimilated, so that in a future life the former
may serve as conscience to withhold the man from repeating mistakes of
the past, and the latter will spur us to greater good.
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