I am a manifestation of REALITY. I _AM_.

THE EIGHTH LESSON.

THE HIGHLANDS AND LOWLANDS OF MIND.

The Self of each of us has a vehicle of expression which we call the
Mind, but which vehicle is much larger and far more complex than we are
apt to realize. As a writer has said "Our Self is greater than we know;
it has peaks above, and lowlands below the plateau of our conscious
experience." That which we know as the "conscious mind" is not the Soul.
The Soul is not a part of that which we know in consciousness, but, on
the contrary, that which we know in consciousness is but a small part of
the Soul--the conscious vehicle of a greater Self, or "I."

The Yogis have always taught that the mind has many planes of
manifestation and action--and that many of its planes operated above and
below the plane of consciousness. Western science is beginning to realize
this fact, and its theories regarding same may be found in any of the
later works on psychology. But this is a matter of recent development in
Western science. Until very recently the text books held that
Consciousness and Mind were synonymous, and that the Mind was conscious
of all of its activities, changes and modifications.

Liebnitz was one of the first Western philosophers to advance the idea
that there were planes of mental activity outside of the plane of
consciousness, and since his time the leading thinkers have slowly but
surely moved forward to his position.

At the present time it is generally conceded that at least ninety per
cent of our mental operations take place in the out-of-conscious realm.
Prof. Elmer Gates, the well known scientist, has said: "At least ninety
per cent of our mental life is sub-conscious. If you will analyze your
mental operations you will find that conscious thinking is never a
continuous line of consciousness, but a series of conscious data with
great intervals of subconscious. We sit and try to solve a problem, and
fail. We walk around, try again, and fail. Suddenly an idea dawns that
leads to the solution of the problem. The subconscious processes were at
work. We do not volitionally create our own thinking. It takes place in
us. We are more or less passive recipients. We cannot change the nature
of a thought, or of a truth, but we can, as it were, _guide the ship by a
moving of the helm_. Our mentation is largely the result of the great
Cosmic Whole upon us."

Sir William Hamilton says that the sphere of our cons