“Let us return to our example. The chemical compound obtained by fusion possesses certain qualities, a certain specific gravity, a certain electrical conductivity, and so on. These qualities constitute the characteristics of the SUBSTANCE in question. But by means of work upon it of a certain kind the number of these characteristics may be increased, that is, the alloy may be given new properties which did not primarily belong to it. It may be possible to magnetize it, to make it radioactive, and so on. Fragments: Two

“Of the four, the fakir acts in the crudest manner; he knows very little and understands very little. Let us suppose that by a whole month of intense torture he develops in himself a certain energy, a certain SUBSTANCE which produces certain changes in him. He does it absolutely blindly, with his eyes shut, knowing neither aim, methods, nor results, simply in imitation of others. Fragments: Two

“The yogi knows considerably more. He knows what he wants, he knows why he wants it, he knows how it can be acquired. He knows, for instance, that it is necessary for his purpose to produce a certain SUBSTANCE in himself. He knows that this SUBSTANCE can be produced in one day by a certain kind of mental exercises or concentration of consciousness. So he keeps his attention on these exercises for a whole day without allowing himself a single outside thought, and he obtains what he needs. In this way a yogi spends on the same thing only one day compared with a month spent by the fakir and a week spent by the monk. Fragments: Two

“Matter or SUBSTANCE necessarily presupposes the existence of force or energy. This does not mean that a dualistic conception of the world is necessary. The concepts of matter and force are as relative as everything else. In the Absolute, where all is one, matter and force are also one. But in this connection matter and force are not taken as real principles of the world in itself, but as properties or characteristics of the phenomenal world observed by us. To begin the study of the universe it is sufficient to have an elementary idea of matter and energy, such as we get by immediate observation through our organs of sense. The ‘constant’ is taken as material, as matter, and ‘changes’ in the state of the ‘constant,’ or of matter, are called manifestations of force or energy. All these changes can be regarded as the result of vibrations or undulatory motions which begin in the center, that is, in the Absolute, and go in all directions, crossing one another, colliding, and merging together, until they stop altogether at the end of the ray of creation. Fragments: Five

“Returning to the law of three, one must learn to find the manifestations of this law in everything we do and in everything we study. The application of this law in any sphere at once reveals much that is new, much that we did not see before. Take chemistry, for instance. Ordinary science does not know of the law of three and it studies matter without taking into consideration its cosmic properties. But besides ordinary chemistry there exists another, a special chemistry, or alchemy if you like, which studies matter taking into consideration its cosmic properties. As has been said before, the cosmic properties of each SUBSTANCE are determined first by its place, and secondly by the force which is acting through it at the given moment. Even in the same place the nature of a given SUBSTANCE undergoes a great change dependent upon the force which is being manifested through it. Each SUBSTANCE can be the conductor of any one of the three forces and, in accordance with this, it can be active, passive, or neutralizing. And it can be neither the first, nor the second, nor the third, if no force is manifesting through it at the given moment or if it is taken without relation to the manifestation of forces. In this way every SUBSTANCE appears, as it were, in four different aspects or states. In this connection it must be noted that when we speak of matter we do not speak of chemical elements. The special chemistry of which I speak looks upon every SUBSTANCE having a separate function, even the most complex, as an element. In this way only is it possible to study the cosmic properties of matter, because all complex compounds have their own cosmic purpose and significance. From this point of view an atom of a given SUBSTANCE is the smallest amount of the given SUBSTANCE which retains all its chemical, physical, and cosmic properties. Consequently the size of the ‘atom’ of different SUBSTANCEs is not the same. And in some cases an ‘atom’ may be a particle even visible to the naked eye. Fragments: Five

“The four aspects or states of every SUBSTANCE have definite names. Fragments: Five

“When a SUBSTANCE is the conductor of the first or the active force, it is called ‘carbon,’ and, like the carbon of chemistry, it is designated by the letter C. Fragments: Five

“When a SUBSTANCE is the conductor of the second or the passive force, it is called ‘oxygen,’ and, like the oxygen of chemistry, it is designated by the letter 0. Fragments: Five

“When a SUBSTANCE is the conductor of the third or neutralizing force, it is called ‘nitrogen,’ and, like the nitrogen of chemistry, it is designated by the letter N. Fragments: Five

“When a SUBSTANCE is taken without relation to the force manifesting itself through it, it is called ‘hydrogen,’ and, like the hydrogen of chemistry, it is designated by the letter H. Fragments: Five

“Let us imagine vibrations in a SUBSTANCE or a medium of a certain definite density. Let us suppose this SUBSTANCE or medium to consist of the comparatively coarse atoms of world 48, each of which is, so to speak, an agglomeration of forty-eight primordial atoms. The vibrations which proceed in this medium are divisible into octaves and the octaves are divisible into notes. Let us imagine that we have taken one octave of these vibrations for the purpose of some kind of investigation. We must realize that within the limits of this octave proceed the vibrations of a still finer SUBSTANCE. The SUBSTANCE of world 48 is saturated with SUBSTANCE of world 24; the vibrations in the SUBSTANCE of world 24 stand in a definite relation to the vibrations in the SUBSTANCE of world 48; namely, each note of the vibrations in the SUBSTANCE of world 48 contains a whole octave of vibrations in the SUBSTANCE of world 24. Fragments: Seven

“The SUBSTANCE of world 24 is, in its turn, permeated with the SUBSTANCE of world 12. In this SUBSTANCE also there are vibrations and each note of the vibrations of world 24 contains a whole octave of the vibrations of world 12. The SUBSTANCE of world 12 is permeated with the SUBSTANCE of world 6. The SUBSTANCE of world 6 is permeated with the SUBSTANCE of world 3. World 3 is permeated with the SUBSTANCE of world 1. Corre-sponding vibrations exist in each of these worlds and the order remains always the same, namely, each note of the vibrations of a coarser SUBSTANCE contains a whole octave of the vibrations of a finer SUBSTANCE. Fragments: Seven

“In addition it is possible to point out in the table of atomic weights elements which correspond to certain hydrogens, that is, elements whose atomic weights stand almost in the correct octave ratio to one another. Thus ‘hydrogen’ 24 corresponds to fluorine, Fl., atomic weight 19; ‘hydrogen’ 48 corresponds to Chlorine, CL., atomic weight 35.5; ‘hydrogen’ 96 corresponds to Bromine, Br., atomic weight 80; and ‘hydrogen’ 192 corresponds to Iodine, I., atomic weight 127. The atomic weights of these elements stand almost in the ratio of an octave to one another, in other words, the atomic weight of one of them is almost twice as much as the atomic weight of another. The slight inexactitude, that is, the incomplete octave relationship, is brought about by the fact that ordinary chemistry does not take into consideration all the properties of a SUBSTANCE, namely, it does not take into consideration ‘cosmic properties.’ The chemistry of which we speak here studies matter on a different basis from ordinary chemistry and takes into consideration not only the chemical and physical, but also the psychic and cosmic properties of matter. Fragments: Nine

“This chemistry or alchemy regards matter first of all from the point of view of its functions which determine its place in the universe and its relations to other matters and then from the point of view of its relation to man and to man’s functions. By an atom of a SUBSTANCE is meant a certain small quantity of the given SUBSTANCE that retains all its chemical, cosmic, and psychic properties, because, in addition to its cosmic properties, every SUBSTANCE also possesses psychic properties, that is, a certain degree of intelligence. The concept ‘atom’ may therefore refer not only to elements, but also to all compound matters possessing definite functions in the universe or in the life of man. There can be an atom of water, an atom of air (that is, atmospheric air suitable for man’s breathing), an atom of bread, an atom of meat, and so on. An atom of water will in this case be one-tenth of one-tenth of a cubic millimeter of water taken at a certain temperature by a special thermometer. This will be a tiny drop of water which under certain conditions can be seen with the naked eye. Fragments: Nine

“The ‘table of hydrogens’ makes it possible to examine all SUBSTANCEs making up man’s organism from the point of view of their relation to different planes of the universe. And as every function of man is a result of the action of definite SUBSTANCEs, and as each SUBSTANCE is connected with a definite plane in the universe, this fact enables us to establish the relation between man’s functions and the planes of the universe.” Fragments: Nine

After the ‘hydrogens’ G. at once went further. “We want to ‘do,’ but” (he began the next lecture) “in everything we do we are tied and limited by the amount of energy produced by our organism. Every function, every state, every action, every thought, every emotion, requires a certain definite energy, a certain definite SUBSTANCE. Fragments: Nine

“As it is known from the law of octaves mi cannot pass independently into fa in an ascending octave; an ‘additional shock’ is necessary. If an ‘additional shock’ is not received the SUBSTANCE mi 192 cannot by itself pass into the full note fa. Fragments: Nine

“La 24 unites with ‘carbon’ 6 present in the organism and is transformed into ‘nitrogen’ 12, or si 12. Si 12 is the highest SUBSTANCE produced in the organism from physical food with the help of the ‘additional shock’ obtained from the air. Fragments: Nine

“Under normal conditions, that is, the conditions of normal existence, the production of the fine matters by the factory at this point comes to a stop and the third octave sounds as do only. The highest SUBSTANCE produced by the factory is si 12 and for all its higher functions the factory is able to use only this higher matter. Fragments: Nine

“The materiality of processes means their dependence upon the quality of the material or SUBSTANCE used on them. One process demands the expenditure, that is, as it were, the burning, of hydrogen 48; another process cannot be obtained with the help of hydrogen 48; it requires a finer, a more combustible SUBSTANCE — hydrogen 24. For a third process hydrogen 24 is too weak; it requires hydrogen 12. Fragments: Nine

“All psychic processes are material. There is not a single process that does not require the expenditure of a certain SUBSTANCE corresponding to it. If this SUBSTANCE is present, the process goes on. When the SUBSTANCE is exhausted, the process comes to a stop.” Fragments: Nine

“As I have already explained before,” said G., “what is called ‘atom’ is the smallest amount of any SUBSTANCE in which the SUBSTANCE retains all its properties, physical, chemical, psychical, and cosmic. From this point of view there can, for instance, be an ‘atom of water.’ Fragments: Ten

“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. Fragments: Eleven

“The final SUBSTANCE in the process of the food octave is the SUBSTANCE si (‘hydrogen’ 12 in the third scale), which needs an ‘additional shock* in order to pass into a new do. But as three octaves have taken part in the production of this SUBSTANCE their influence is also reflected in the final result by determining its quality. The quality and quantity can be regulated by regulating the three kinds of food received by the organism. Only in the presence of a full and harmonious conformity between all three kinds of food, by a strengthening or weakening of the different parts of the process, is the required result obtained. Fragments: Fourteen

“The process of the transition fa-mi can be represented in the most schematic way thus: the cosmic fa enters this machine like the food of the lower story and begins its cycle of changes. Therefore in the beginning it sounds in the machine as do. The SUBSTANCE sol of the cosmic octave serves as the SUBSTANCE which enters the middle story like the air in breathing, which helps the note fa inside the machine to pass into the note mi. This sol on entering the machine also sounds as do. The matter which has now been obtained is joined in the upper story by the SUBSTANCE of the cosmic la, which enters the upper story of the machine, also as do. Fragments: Fourteen

“This symbol points out that the SUBSTANCE fa in being mixed with the SUBSTANCE la gives as a result the SUBSTANCE sol. And as this process proceeds in the octave, developing as it were inside the note fa, it is therefore possible to say that fa without changing its pitch acquires the properties of sol. Fragments: Fourteen