CHAPTER II
GENERAL ELEMENTS
OF THE UNIVERSE
Knowledge of the first principle of things.—Spirit and matter.
—Properties of matter.—Universal space
Knowledge of the first principle of things.
17. Does humankind have the ability to understand the first principle of things?
“No. There are things that God does not reveal to human beings
here in this world.”
18. Will human beings ever be able to penetrate the mystery of things that are
concealed from them?
“The veil will be lifted as human beings achieve their purification,
but to understand certain things they need faculties that they do not
yet possess.”
19. Can humankind penetrate some of the secrets of nature through scientific
investigations and research?
“Science is a means of development for human beings, but they
cannot surpass the limits set by God.”
The farther humans penetrate the investigation of these mysteries,
the greater their veneration of the power and wisdom of
the Creator should be. However, due to pride and weakness,
human intelligence often leads to misconceptions. Humans
pile systems on top of systems and every single day they learn
how many errors they have mistaken for truths, and how many
truths they have dismissed as errors. This amounts to more disappointment
than human pride can bear.
20. Through means other than scientific investigation, is humankind able
to receive communications of a higher order that transcend human senses?
“Yes. When God deems it useful. God reveals to human beings
what science is incapable of teaching them.”
Through these communications, humans are able to obtain
knowledge of their past and future destiny, to a certain degree.
Spirit and matter.
21. Like God, has matter existed for all eternity, or was it created at some fixed
point in time?
“Only God knows. However, one fact that reason should point out
is that God, the ultimate paradigm of love and charity, is never inactive,
no matter how far back in time you may imagine the beginning of
God’s action started. Can you deduce that God is ever idle, even for a
single moment?”
22. Matter is generally defined as being “that which has extension,” “that which makes an impression on
our senses,” or “that which is impenetrable.” Are these definitions accurate?
“From your point of view, they are accurate, because you can only
provide a definition according to what you know. Matter exists in states
that are unfamiliar to you. It may be, for instance, so ethereal and subtle
that it makes no impression on your senses. It is still matter, even
though it would not be such for you.”
a) What definition can you give of matter?
“Matter is the link that bonds the spirit. It is the instrument that
serves it and at the same time it carries out its action.”
From this point of view, one could say that matter is the agent or
intermediary through and upon which the spirit acts.
23. What is the spirit?
“The intelligent principle of the universe.”
a) What is the essential nature of the spirit?
“Your language is incapable of properly defining the spirit. It is
nothing to you because it is not a tangible thing, but for us it is something.
Remember this, nothing is nothingness, and nothingness does
not exist.”
24. Is spirit synonymous with intelligence?
“Intelligence is an essential attribute of the spirit. In your world
they are used interchangeably as a common principle, so much so that
for you they are the same thing.”
25. Is the spirit independent of matter, or is it only a property, as colors are a
property of light and sound is a property of air?
“They are distinct from one another, but the union of the spirit
and matter is vital to give intelligent activity to matter.”
a) Is this union also necessary for the manifestation of the spirit? (Spirit
here refers to the principle of intelligence, rather than the spiritual individualities
usually designated by that term.)
“For you, yes, because your physical makeup is not designed to perceive
the spirit apart from matter. Your senses are not designed for that.”
26. Can a spirit be conceptualized without matter, and vice versa?
“Of course, by thought.”
27. Therefore, are there two general elements of the universe: matter and
the spirit?
“Yes, and God, the Creator of all things is above them. These three
elements are the principle of all that exists—the universal trinity. However,
the universal fluid must be added to the material elements, it acts
as the intermediary between spirit and matter, as the body is too crude
for the spirit to be able to act directly on it. Although this fluid may
be classified as part of the material element from another perspective,
it is distinguished by certain special properties. If it were simply
classified as matter, there would be no reason why the spirit could not
also be classified as matter. It is something placed between the spirit
and matter. It is fluid, just as matter is material, and through countless
combinations under the action of the spirit, it can produce an infinite
variety of things of which you only know a very small portion. Without
this universal, primitive or elementary fluid, the agent employed by
the spirit, matter would permanently remain divided, and would never
acquire the properties given to it by gravity.”
a) Is this fluid what we call electricity?
“We have said that it is open to countless blends or arrangements.
What you call electric fluid, magnetic fluid, and so on, are modifications
of the universal fluid, which is only matter of a more perfect and
subtle nature. It may be regarded as being independent.”
28. Since the spirit itself is something, would it be more accurate and less confusing
to call these two general elements inert matter and intelligent matter?
“Words are of little importance to us. You must formulate your
expressions so that you may understand one another. Your disputes
almost always arise from the lack of a common agreement over the use
of words, because your language is incapable of describing that which
transcends your senses.”
One obvious fact governs all our hypotheses. Matter in and of
itself is not intelligent. Therefore, we see an intelligent principle
independent of matter. The origin and connection of these two elements are unknown to us. As to whether they have a common
source, or the necessary points of contact, whether intelligence
has an independent existence, or is only a property or an effect,
or even whether it is an emanation of the Divinity, we have no
answers for these questions. They appear to be distinct to us,
and we therefore consider them to be two crucial elements of
the universe. We see a supreme intelligence above all this that
governs all things and is distinguished from them by essential
attributes. This supreme intelligence is what we call God.
Properties of matter.
29. Is ponderability an essential attribute of matter?
“Yes, for matter as you understand it, but not matter that is considered
the universal fluid. The ethereal and subtle matter forming this
fluid cannot be measured by you, and yet it is the source of your matter
that can be weighed.”
Gravity is a relative property. Beyond the realm of gravitational
pull between planets and stars, there is no such thing as weight,
just as there is neither up nor down.
30. Is matter composed of one or several elements?
“One single primordial element. The bodies that you see as simple
are not truly elements, but transformations of the primordial matter.”
31. From where do the different properties of matter originate?
“They originate from changes undergone by elementary molecules
as a result of their union, and under certain conditions.”
32. According to this interpretation, are favors, odors, colors, sounds, and
the toxic or beneficial qualities of bodies solely the result of modifications of the
same basic substance?
“Precisely. These senses only exist according to the design of the
organs intended to perceive them.”
This principle is demonstrated by the fact that everyone does
not perceive the qualities of material items in the same manner.
While something may appear to taste good to one person, it
may be horrible to another; what appears blue to one person
appears red to another. That which is poisonous for some, is
harmless or even healthy for others.
33. Can the same elementary matter undergo all possible changes and acquire
all properties?
“Yes, and it is this fact that is implied in the saying ‘everything is
in everything.’” *
Oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, carbon, and all the other masses
that we see as elements are merely variations of one primordial
substance. As we have found it impossible to arrive at this
elemental matter other than as an intellectual deduction, they
appear to be elementary. We may therefore continue to regard
them as such for now.
* This principle explains the phenomenon known by all magnetizers and that consists in giving radically different properties to any substance, such as a specific taste to water, and even the active qualities of other substances. Since there is only one primordial element, and the properties of different bodies are only variations of this element, the most inoffensive substance has the same foundation as the most noxious. Water, which is one part oxygen and two parts hydrogen, becomes corrosive when someone doubles the proportion of oxygen. A similar transformation may occur by the magnetic action directed by the will.
a) This theory appears to support the opinion of those who acknowledge
only two essential properties in matter, force and movement, and who regard
all other properties of matter as purely secondary effects, varying according to
the intensity of the force and direction of movement.
“This opinion is exact. We must also add according to molecular
arrangement, for instance, in an opaque body that may become transparent
and vice versa.”
34. Do molecules have a definite form?
“Of course they have a form, but it cannot be assessed by you.”
a) Is this form constant or variable?
“Constant for primordial elementary molecules, but variable for secondary molecules that are only aggregations of the primary ones. What you call a molecule is very far from being an elementary molecule.”
Universal space.
35. Is universal space infinite or limited?
“Infinite. Assume, for a moment, that there are boundaries. What
would be beyond them? This perplexes your reason, which tells you
that it cannot be otherwise. The same is true with regard to infinity in
all things. The idea of infinity cannot be grasped in your narrow world.”
If we imagine a limit to space, no matter how far away this limit
may be, reason dictates that there must always be something beyond
it until we arrive at the idea of infinity because this something,
even if only an absolute void, would still be space.
36. Does an absolute void exist anywhere in the universe?
“No. What appears to be a void to you is occupied by matter that
your senses and instruments are incapable of detecting.”
