but they belong to higher phases of life
than are dealt with here.

The first of these planes or states of Consciousness, above the
"Self-Consciousness" of the psychologists (which we have called "Mental
Consciousness") may be called "Ego-consciousness," for it brings an
"awareness" of the Reality of the Ego. This "awareness" is far above the
Self-consciousness of the man who is able to distinguish "I" from "You,"
and to give it a name. And far above the consciousness that enables a
man, as he rises in the scale, to distinguish the "I" from faculty after
faculty of the mind, which he is able to recognize as "not--I," until he
finds left a mental something that he cannot set aside, which he calls
"I"--although this stage alone is very much higher than that of the
average of the race, and is a high degree of Attainment itself. It is
akin to this last stage, and yet still fuller and more complete. In
the dawning of Ego Consciousness the "I" recognizes itself still more
clearly and, more than this, is fully imbued with a sense and "awareness"
of its own _Reality_, unknown to it before. This awareness is not a mere
matter of reasoning--it is a "consciousness," just as is Physical
Consciousness and Mental Consciousness something different from an
"intellectual conviction." It is a Knowing, not a Thinking or Believing.
The "I" _knows_ that it is Real--that it has its roots in the Supreme
Reality underlying all the Universe, and partakes of its Essence. It does
not know what this Reality is, but it knows that it is Real, and
something different from anything in the world of name, form, number,
time, space, cause and effect--something Transcendental and surpassing
all human experience. And knowing this, it knows that it cannot be
destroyed or hurt; cannot die, but is immortal; and that there is
Something which is the very essence of Good behind of, underneath and
even _in_ itself. And in this certainty and consciousness is there Peace,
Understanding and Power. When it fully bursts upon one, Doubt, Fear,
Unrest and Dissatisfaction drop from him like wornout garments and he
finds himself clothed in the Faith that Knows; Fearlessness; Restfulness;
Satisfaction. Then he is able to say understandingly and with meaning "I
AM."

This Ego Consciousness is coming to many as a dawning knowledge--the
light is just rising from behind the hills. To others it has come
gradually and slowly, but fully, and they now live in the full light of