“In our system the end of the ray of creation, the growing end, so to speak, of the branch, is the moon. The energy for the growth, that is, for the development of the moon and for the formation of new shoots, goes to the moon from the earth, where it is created by the joint action of the sun, of all the other planets of the solar system, and of the earth itself. This energy is collected and preserved in a huge ACCUMULATOR situated on the earth’s surface. This ACCUMULATOR is organic life on earth. Organic life on earth feeds the moon. Everything living on the earth, people, animals, plants, is food for the moon. The moon is a huge living being feeding upon all that lives and grows on the earth. The moon could not exist without organic life on earth, any more than organic life on earth could exist without the moon. Moreover, in relation to organic life the moon is a huge electromagnet. If the action of the electromagnet were suddenly to stop, organic life would crumble to nothing. Chapter Five

“A very important role in the human machine is played by a certain kind of ACCUMULATOR. There are two small ACCUMULATORs near each center filled with the particular substance necessary for the work of the given center. Chapter Eleven

“In addition, there is in the organism a large ACCUMULATOR which feeds the small ones. The small ACCUMULATORs are connected together, and further, each of them is connected with the center next to which it stands, as well as with the large ACCUMULATOR.” Chapter Eleven

“In the first instance the intellectual center, and in the second the moving center, draw the energy necessary for their work from the small ACCUMULATORs. When an ACCUMULATOR is nearly empty a man feels tired. He would like to stop, to sit down if he is walking, to think of something else if he is solving a difficult problem. But quite unexpectedly he feels an inflow of strength, and he is once more able to walk or to work. This means that the center has become connected with the second ACCUMULATOR and is taking energy from it. Meanwhile the first ACCUMULATOR is refilling with energy from the large ACCUMULATOR. The work of the center goes on. The man continues to walk or to work. Sometimes a short rest is required to insure this connection. Sometimes a shock, sometimes an effort. Anyway, the work goes on. After a certain time the store of energy in the second ACCUMULATOR also becomes exhausted. The man again feels tired. Chapter Eleven

“Again an external shock, or a short rest, or a cigarette, or an effort, and he is connected with the first ACCUMULATOR. But it may easily happen that the center has drawn energy from the second ACCUMULATOR so quickly that the first one has had no time to refill itself from the large ACCUMULATOR, and has taken only half the energy it can hold; it is only half full. Chapter Eleven

“Having become reconnected with the first ACCUMULATOR the center begins to draw energy from it, while the second ACCUMULATOR becomes connected with and draws energy from the large ACCUMULATOR. But this time the first ACCUMULATOR was only half full. The center quickly exhausts its energy, and in the meantime the second ACCUMULATOR has succeeded in getting only a quarter full. The center becomes connected with it, swiftly exhausts all its energy, and connects once more with the first ACCUMULATOR, and so on. After a certain time the organism is brought to such a state that neither of the small ACCUMULATORs has a drop of energy left. This time the man feels really tired. He almost falls down, he almost drops asleep, or else his organism becomes affected, he starts a headache, palpitations begin, or he feels sick. Chapter Eleven

“This means that the center has become connected directly to the large ACCUMULATOR. The large ACCUMULATOR contains an enormous amount of energy. Connected with the large ACCUMULATOR a man is literally able to perform miracles. But of course, if the ‘rolls’ continue to turn and energy which is made from air, food, and impressions continues to pour out of the large ACCUMULATOR faster than it pours in, then there comes a moment when the large ACCUMULATOR is drained of all energy and the organism dies. But this happens very seldom. Usually the organism automatically stops working long before this. Special conditions are necessary to cause the organism to die exhausted of all its energy. In ordinary conditions a man will fall asleep or he will faint or he will develop some internal complication which will stop the work a long time before the real danger. Chapter Eleven

“Our aim, on the contrary, is to learn to connect the necessary center with the large ACCUMULATOR. So long as we are unable to do this, all our work will be wasted because we shall fall asleep before our efforts can give any kind of results. Chapter Eleven

“We must learn how to draw energy straight from the large ACCUMULATOR. Chapter Eleven

“This however is possible only with the help of the emotional center. It is essential that this be understood. The connection with the large ACCUMULATOR can be effected only through the emotional center. The instinctive, moving, and intellectual centers, by themselves, can feed only on the small ACCUMULATORs. Chapter Eleven

“Laughter is also directly connected with ACCUMULATORs. But laughter is the opposite function to yawning. It is not pumping in, but pumping out, that is, the pumping out and the discarding of superfluous energy collected in the ACCUMULATORs. Laughter does not exist in all centers, but only in centers divided into two halves — positive and negative. If I have not yet spoken of this in detail, I shall do so when we come to a more detailed study of the centers. At present we shall take only the intellectual center. There can be impressions which fall at once on two halves of the center and produce at once a sharp ‘yes’ and ‘no.’ Such a simultaneous ‘yes’ and ‘no’ produces a kind of convulsion in the center and, being unable to harmonize and digest these two opposite impressions of one fact, the center begins to throw out in the form of laughter the energy which flows into it from the ACCUMULATOR whose turn it is to supply it. In another instance it happens that in the ACCUMULATOR there has collected too much energy which the center cannot manage to use up. Then every, the most ordinary, impression can be received as double, that is, it may fall at once on the two halves of the center and produce laughter, that is, the discarding of energy. Chapter Eleven