often　fail　to　be　aroused　in　an　individual　until　certain
  particular　intellectual　beliefs　or　ideas　which；　as　we　say；　come
  home　to　him；　are　touched。＇358＇　These　ideas　will　thus　be　essential
  to　that　individual's　religion；which　is　as　much　as　to　say　that
  over…beliefs　in　various　directions　are　absolutely　indispensable；
  and　that　we　should　treat　them　with　tenderness　and　tolerance　so
  long　as　they　are　not　intolerant　themselves。　As　I　have　elsewhere
  written；　the　most　interesting　and　valuable　things　about　a　man　are
  usually　his　over…beliefs。
  ＇358＇　For　instance；　here　is　a　case　where　a　person　exposed　from
  her　birth　to　Christian　ideas　had　to　wait　till　they　came　to　her
  clad　in　spiritistic　formulas　before　the　saving　experience　set
  in：
  〃For　myself　I　can　say　that　spiritualism　has　saved　me。　　It　was
  revealed　to　me　at　a　critical　moment　of　my　life；　and　without　it　I
  don't　know　what　I　should　have　done。　　It　has　taught　me　to　detach
  myself　from　worldly　things　and　to　place　my　hope　in　things　to
  come。　　Through　it　I　have　learned　to　see　in　all　men；　even　in　those
  most　criminal；　even　in　those　from　whom　I　have　most　suffered；
  undeveloped　brothers　to　whom　I　owed　assistance；　love；　and
  forgiveness。　　I　have　learned　that　I　must　lose　my　temper　over
  nothing　despise　no　one；　and　pray　for　all。　　Most　of　all　I　have
  learned　to　pray！　　And　although　I　have　still　much　to　learn　in　this
  domain；　prayer　ever　brings　me　more　strength；　consolation；　and
  comfort。　　I　feel　more　than　ever　that　I　have　only　made　a　few　steps
  on　the　long　road　of　progress；　but　I　look　at　its　length　without
  dismay；　for　I　have　confidence　that　the　day　will　come　when　all　my
  efforts　shall　be　rewarded。　　So　Spiritualism　has　a　great　place　in
  my　life；　indeed　it　holds　the　first　place　there。〃　　Flournoy
  Collection。
  Disregarding　the　over　beliefs；　and　confining　ourselves　to　what　is
  common　and　generic；　we　have　in　the　fact　that　the　conscious　person
  is　continuous　with　a　wider　self　through　which　saving　experiences
  come；＇359＇　a　positive　content　of　religious　experience　which；　it
  seems　to　me；　is　literally　and　objectively　true　as　far　as　it　goes。
  If　I　now　proceed　to　state　my　own　hypothesis　about　the　farther
  limits　of　this　extension　of　our　personality；　I　shall　be　offering
  my　own　over…belief　though　I　know　it　will　appear　a　sorry
  under…belief　to　some　of　youfor　which　I　can　only　bespeak　the
  same　indulgence　which　in　a　converse　case　I　should　accord　to
  yours。
  ＇359＇　〃The　influence　of　the　Holy　Spirit；　exquisitely　called　the
  Comforter；　is　a　matter　of　actual　experience；　as　solid　a　reality
  as　that　of　electro　magnetism。〃　　W。　C。　Brownell；　Scribner's
  Magazine；　vol。　xxx。　p。　112。
  The　further　limits　of　our　being　plunge；　it　seems　to　me；
  into　an　altogether　other　dimension　of　existence　from　the　sensible
  and　merely　〃understandable〃　world。　　Name　it　the　mystical　region；
  or　the　supernatural　region；　whichever　you　choose。　　So　far　as　our
  ideal　impulses　originate　in　this　region　（and　most　of　them　do
  originate　in　it；　for　we　find　them　possessing　us　in　a　way　for
  which　we　cannot　articulately　account）；　we　belong　to　it　in　a　more
  intimate　sense　than　that　in　which　we　belong　to　the　visible　world；
  for　we　belong　in　the　most　intimate　sense　wherever　our　ideals
  belong。　　Yet　the　unseen　region　in　question　is　not　merely　ideal；
  for　it　produces　effects　in　this　world。　　When　we　commune　with　it；
  work　is　actually　done　upon　our　finite　personality；　for　we　are
  turned　into　new　men；　and　consequences　in　the　way　of　conduct
  follow　in　the　natural　world　upon　our　regenerative　change。＇360＇
  But　that　which　produces　effects　within　another　reality　must　be
  termed　a　reality　itself；　so　I　feel　as　if　we　had　no　philosophic
  excuse　for　calling　the　unseen　or　mystical　world　unreal。
  ＇360＇　That　the　transaction　of　opening　ourselves；　otherwise　called
  prayer；　is　a　perfectly　definite　one　for　certain　persons；　appears
  abundantly　in　the　preceding　lectures。　　I　append　another　concrete
  example　to　rein　force　the　impression　on　the　reader's　mind：
  〃Man　can　learn　to　transcend　these　limitations　＇of　finite　thought＇
  and　draw　power　and　wisdom　at　will。　。　。　。　The　divine　presence　is
  known　through　experience。　　The　turning　to　a　higher　plane　is　a
  distinct　act　of　consciousness。　　It　is　not　a　vague；　twilight　or
  semi…conscious　experience。　　It　is　not　an　ecstasy；　it　is　not　a
  trance。　　It　is　not　super…consciousness　in　the　Vedantic　sense。　　It
  is　not　due　to　self…hypnotization。　　It　is　a　perfectly　calm；　sane；
  sound；　rational；　common…sense　shifting　of　consciousness　from　the
  phenomena　of　sense…perception　to　the　phenomena　of　seership；　from
  the　thought　of　self　to　a　distinctively　higher　realm。　。　。　。　For
  example；　if　the　lower　self　be　nervous；　anxious；　tense；　one　can　in
  a　few　moments　compel　it　to　be　calm。　　This　is　not　done　by　a　word
  simply。　　Again　I　say；　it　is　not　hypnotism。　　It　is　by　the　exercise
  of　power。　　One　feels　the　spirit　of　peace　as　definitely　as　heat　is
  perceived　on　a　hot　summer　day。　　The　power　can　be　as　surely　used
  as　the　sun　s　rays　can　be　focused　and　made　to　do　work；　to　set　fire
  to　wood。〃　　The　Higher　Law；　vol。　iv。　pp。　4；　6；　Boston；　August；
  1901。
  God　is　the　natural　appellation；　for　us　Christians　at　least；　for
  the　supreme　reality；　so　I　will　call　this　higher　part　of　the
  universe　by　the　name　of　God。＇361＇　　We　and　God　have　business　with
  each　other；　and　in　opening　ourselves　to　his　influence　our　deepest
  destiny　is　fulfilled。　　The　universe；　at　those　parts　of　it　which
  our　personal　being　constitutes；　takes　a　turn　genuinely　for　the
  worse　or　for　the　better　in　proportion　as　each　one　of　us　fulfills
  or　evades　God's　demands。　　As　far　as　this　goes　I　probably　have　you
  with　me；　for　I　only　translate　into　schematic　language　what　I　may
  call　the　instinctive　belief　of　mankind：　　God　is　real　since　he
  produces　real　effects。
  ＇361＇　Transcendentalists　are　fond　of　the　term　〃Over…soul；〃　but　as
  a　rule　they　use　it　in　an　intellectualist　sense；　as　meaning　only　a
  medium　of　communion。　　〃God〃　is　a　causal　agent　as　well　as　a　medium
  of　communion；　and　that　is　the　aspect　which　I　wish　to　emphasize。
  The　real　effects　in　question；　so　far　as　I　have　as　yet　admitted
  them；　are　exerted　on　the　personal　centres　of　energy　of　the
  various　subjects；　but　the　spontaneous　faith　of　most　of　the
  subjects　is　that　they　embrace　a　wider　sphere　than　this。　　Most
  religious　men　believe　（or　〃know；〃　if　they　be　mystical）　that　not
  only　they　themselves；　but　the　whole　universe　of　beings　to　whom
  the　God　is　present；　are　secure　in　his　parental　hands。　　There　is　a
  sense；　a　dimension；　they　are　sure；　in　which　we　are　ALL　saved；　in
  spite　of　the　gates　of　hell　and　all　adverse　terrestrial
  appearances。　　God's　existence　is　the　guarantee　of　an　ideal　order
  that　shall　be　permanently　preserved。　　This　world　may　indeed；　as
  science　assures　us；　some　day　burn　up　or　freeze；　but　if　it　is　part
  of　his　order；　the　old　ideals　are　sure　to　be　brought　elsewhere　to
  fruition；　so　that　where　God　is；　tragedy　is　only　provisional　and
  partial；　and　shipwreck　and　dissolution　are　not　the　absolutely
  final　things。　　Only　when　this　farther　step　of　faith　concerning
  God　is　taken；　and　remote　objective　consequences　are　predicted；
  does　religion；　as　it　seems　to　me；　get　wholly　free　from　the　first
  immediate　subjective　experience；　and　bring　a　REAL　HYPOTHESIS　into
  play。　　A　good　hypothesis　in　science　must　have　other　properties
  than　those　of　the　phenomenon　it　is　immediately　invoked　to
  explain；　otherwise　it　is　not　prolific　enough。　　God；　meaning　only
  what　enters　into　the　religious　man's　experience　of　union；　falls
  short　of　being　an　hypothesis　of　this　more　useful　order。　　He　needs
  to　enter　into　wider　cosmic　relations　in　order　to　justify　the
  subject's　absolute　confidence　and　peace。
  That　the　God　with　whom；　starting　from　the　hither　side　of　our　own
  extra…marginal　self；　we　come　at　its　remoter　margin　into　commerce
  should　be　the　absolute　world…ruler；　is　of　course　a　very
  considerable　over…belief。　　Over…belief　as　it　is；　though；　it　is　an
  article　of　almost　every　one's　religion。　　Most　of　us　pretend　in
  some　way　to　prop　it　upon　our　philosophy；　but　the　philosophy
  itself　is　really　propped　upon　this　faith。　What　is　this　but　to　say
  that　Religion；　in　her　fullest　exercise　of　function；　is　not　a　mere
  illumination　of　facts　already　elsewhere　given；　not　a　mere
  passion；　like　love；　which　views　things　in　a　rosier　light。　　It　is
  indeed　that；　as