d death," to which the merely
mortal consciousness is subject.

This is the goal of every human life; this is the essence, the _substance_
of all religious systems and all philosophies.

The only chance for disputation among theologians and philosophers, lies in
the way of accomplishing this at-one-ment. There is not the slightest
opportunity for a difference of opinion as what they wish to accomplish.

Admitting then, that the goal of every soul is the same--immortality--(the
mortal consciousness cognizing itself as Om), we come to a consideration of
the evidence we may find in support of this axiom. This evidence we do
_not_ find satisfactory, in spirit communication; in psychic experiences;
in hypnotic phenomena; and astral trips; important, and reliable as these
many psychic research phenomena are.

These are not satisfactory or convincing evidences of our at-one-ment with
Om, because they do not preclude the probability of the "second death;" but
on the contrary, they verify it.

However, aside from all these psychic phenomena, there is a phase of human
experience, much more rare but becoming somewhat general, that transcends
phenomena of every kind.

The western world has given to these experiences the term "cosmic
consciousness," which term is self explanatory.

The Orientals have long known of this goal of the soul, and they have terms
to express this, varying with the many types of the Oriental mind, but all
meaning the same thing. This meaning, from our Occidental viewpoint, is
best translated in the term liberation, signifying to be set free from the
limitations of sense, and of self-consciousness, and to have glimpsed the
larger area of consciousness, that takes in the very cosmos.

This experience is accompanied by a great light, whether this light is
manifested as spiritual, or as intellectual power, determines its
expression.

The object of this book is to call attention to some of the more pronounced
instances of this Illumination, and to classify them, according as they
have been expressed through religions enthusiasm; poetical fervor; or great
intellectual power.

But we have also one other argument to make, and this we present with a
conviction of its _truth_, while conceding that it must remain a _theory_,
until proven, each individual, man or woman, for himself and herself. The
postulate is this: immortality (i.e. godhood) is bi-sexual. No male person
can by any possibility become an immo