ble in the people it
governs. The lower in the scale of evolution the people, the more they
show a certain racial likeness. That is due to the work of the race
spirit. One national spirit is responsible for the swarthy complexion
common to Italians, for instance, while another causes the Scandinavians
to be blond. In the more advanced types of humanity there is a wider
divergence from the common type, due to the individualized Ego, which thus
expresses in form and feature its own particular idiosyncrasies. Among the
lower types of humanity such as Mongolians, native African Negroes and
South Sea Islanders, the resemblance of individuals in each tribe makes it
almost impossible for civilized Westerners to distinguish between them.
Among animals, where the separate spirit is not individualized and
self-conscious, the resemblance is not only much more marked physically
but extends even to traits and characteristics. We may write the biography
of a man, for the experiences of each varies from that of others and his
acts are different, but we cannot write the biography of an animal for
members of each tribe all act alike under similar circumstances. If we
desire to know the facts about Edward VII, it would profit us nothing to
study the life of the Prince-Consort, his father, or of George V, his son,
as both would be entirely different from Edward. In order to find out what
manner of man he was, we must study his own individual life. If, on the
other hand, we wish to know the characteristics of beavers, we may observe
any individual of the tribe, and when we have studied its idiosyncrasies,
we shall know the traits of the whole tribe of beavers. What we call
"instinct," is in reality the dictates of group-spirits which govern
separate individuals of its tribe telepathically, as it were.

The ancient Egyptians knew of these animal group spirits and sketched many
of them, in a crude way, upon their temples and tombs. Such figures with a
human body and an animal head actually live in the desire world. They may
be spoken to, and will be found much more intelligent than the average
human being.

That statement brings up another peculiarity of conditions in the Desire
World in respect of language. Here in this World human speech is so
diversified that there are countries where people who live only a few
miles apart speak a dialect so different that they understand each other
with great difficulty, and each nation has its own langu