he
beginning of his second chapter of "The Law of Psychic Phenomena," that:
"The mystic jargon of the Hermetic philosophers discloses the same
general idea" i.e., the duality of mind. If Dr. Hudson had taken
the time and trouble to decipher a little of "the mystic jargon of the
Hermetic Philosophy," he might have received much light upon the subject
of "the dual mind"--but then, perhaps, his most interesting work might
not have been written. Let us now consider the Hermetic Teachings
regarding Mental Gender.
The Hermetic Teachers impart their instruction regarding this subject by
bidding their students examine the report of their consciousness
regarding their Self. The students are bidden to turn their attention
inward upon the Self dwelling within each. Each student is led to see
that his consciousness gives him first a report of the existence of his
Self-the report is "I Am." This at first seems to be the final words
from the consciousness, but a little further examination discloses the
fact that this "I Am" may be separated or split into two distinct parts,
or aspects, which while working in unison and in conjunction, yet,
nevertheless, may be separated in consciousness.
While at first there seems to be only an "I" existing, a more careful
and closer examination reveals the fact that there exists an "I" and a
"Me." These mental twins differ in their characteristics and nature, and
an examination of their nature and the phenomena arising from the same
will throw much light upon many of the problems of mental influence.
Let us begin with a consideration of the Me, which is usually mistaken
for the I by the student, until he presses the inquiry a little further
back into the recesses of consciousness. A man thinks of his Self (in
its aspect of Me) as being composed of certain feelings, tastes likes,
dislikes, habits, peculiar ties, characteristics, etc., all of which go
to make up his personality, or the "Self" known to himself and others.
He knows that these emotions and feelings change; are born and die away;
are subject to the Principle of Rhythm, and the Principle of Polarity,
which take him from one extreme of feeling to another. He also thinks of
the "Me" as being certain knowledge gathered together in his mind, and
thus forming a part of himself. This is the "Me" of a man.
But we have proceeded too hastily. The "Me" of many men may be said to
consist largely of their consciousness of the body and their phy
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