derstand. Sometimes a
theosophical lecturer sees many of these yellow serpentine forms
projecting towards him from his audience, and welcomes them as a token
that his hearers are following his arguments intelligently, and have an
earnest desire to understand and to know more. A form of this kind
frequently accompanies a question, and if, as is sometimes unfortunately
the case, the question is put less with the genuine desire for knowledge
than for the purpose of exhibiting the acumen of the questioner, the
form is strongly tinged with the deep orange that indicates conceit. It
was at a theosophical meeting that this special shape was encountered,
and it accompanied a question which showed considerable thought and
penetration. The answer at first given was not thoroughly satisfactory
to the inquirer, who seems to have received the impression that his
problem was being evaded by the lecturer. His resolution to obtain a
full and thorough answer to his inquiry became more determined than
ever, and his thought-form deepened in colour and changed into the
second of the two shapes, resembling a cork-screw even more closely than
before. Forms similar to these are constantly created by ordinary idle
and frivolous curiosity, but as there is no intellect involved in that
case the colour is no longer yellow, but usually closely resembles that
of decaying meat, somewhat like that shown in Fig. 29 as expressing a
drunken man's craving for alcohol.

[Illustration: FIG. 19. THE INTENTION TO KNOW]

_High Ambition._--Fig. 20 gives us another manifestation of desire--the
ambition for place or power. The ambitious quality is shown by the rich
deep orange colour, and the desire by the hooked extensions which
precede the form as it moves. The thought is a good and pure one of its
kind, for if there were anything base or selfish in the desire it would
inevitably show itself in the darkening of the clear orange hue by dull
reds, browns, or greys. If this man coveted place or power, it was not
for his own sake, but from the conviction that he could do the work
well and truly, and to the advantage of his fellow-men.

[Illustration: FIG. 20. HIGH AMBITION]

_Selfish Ambition._--Ambition of a lower type is represented in Fig. 21.
Not only have we here a large stain of the dull brown-grey of
selfishness, but there is also a considerable difference in the form,
though it appears to possess equal definiteness of outline. Fig. 20 is
rising steadil