ossibilities which the Law of the Expression of
Spirit provides.

The otherwise happy subjective life of these more enlightened souls has
this radical defect that they have failed to bring over with them that
power of original selection and initiative without which further progress
is impossible. I wish the student to grasp this point very clearly, for it
is of the utmost importance. Of course the basis of our further evolution
is conformity to the harmonious nature of the Originating Spirit; but upon
this foundation we each have to build up the superstructure of our own
individuality, and every step of advance depends on our personal
development of power to take that step. This is what is meant by taking an
initiative. It is making a New Departure, not merely recombining the old
things into fresh groupings still subject to the old laws, but introducing
an entirely new element which will bring its own New Law along with it.

Now if this is the true meaning of "initiative" then that is just the
power which these otherwise happy souls do not possess. For by the very
conditions of the case they are living only in their subjective
consciousness, and consequently are living by the law of subjective mind;
and one of the chief characteristics of subjective mind is its incapacity
to reason inductively, and therefore its inability to make the selection
and take the initiative necessary to inaugurate a New Departure. The well
established facts of mental law show conclusively that subjective mind
argues only deductively. It argues quite correctly from any given premises,
but it cannot take the initiative in selecting the premises--that is the
province of inductive reasoning which is essentially the function of the
objective mind. But by the law of Auto-suggestion this discarnate
individual has brought over his premises with him, which premises are the
sum-total of his inductions made during objective life, the conception of
things which he held at the time he passed over, for this constituted his
idea of Truth. Now he cannot add to these inductions, for he has parted
with his instrument for inductive reasoning, and therefore his deductive
reasoning in the purely subjective state which he has now entered is
necessarily limited to the consequences which may be deducted from the
premises which he has brought along with him.

In the case of the highly-developed individualities we are now considering
the premises thus brought over are