cosmic consciousness; what they call energy is simply cosmic thought-force, controllable by man—is utilized and given its particular kind of thought-force by man when he definitely thinks; and what they call physical matter is nothing but crystallized thoughts—man’s beliefs crystallized into substantiality. And cosmic consciousness is only God’s Consciousness.

Consider this carefully, in view of all that is stated above, and see if it must not be so.

Keeping this in mind, then, we can see that on the different planes of consciousness—from the mental where the thought or idea is first given its form; out through the astral plane where desire fills the thought-form with its particular kind of force; through the etheric plane where it takes on physical life; into the physical, the outer realm of manifestation—the original idea is but putting on form, attracting to it the energy or force to vitalize it and give it life, so that it can outmanifest and express in the physical

But you must remember that the physical is but the out-picturing of what is already seen on the inner planes of being; that the farther out the thought goes from the original idea in spirit that gave it birth, the more it gets distorted and clouded, making it more and more difficult to detect the real meaning and intention of that idea. Therefore, the outer physical is the most imperfect phase of its expression. The etheric, its inner life aspect, is an exact duplicate or is the “double” of the physical, but is invisible to the physical. From there inward, according to the spiritual state of the soul—its stage of unfoldment—its present place in consciousness, does the image or thought-form grow purer and nearer to the perfect picture