You will remember that in the preceding chapter I told you that in addition to the five ordinary physical senses of man there were also two other physical senses comparatively undeveloped in the average person.  These two extra physical senses are, respectively, (1) the sense of the presence of other living things; and (2) the telepathic sense.  As I also told you, these two extra physical senses have their astral counterparts.  They also have certain physical organs which are not generally recognized by physiologists or psychologists, but which are well known to all occultists.  I shall now consider the first of the two above-mentioned extra physical senses, in order to clear the way for our consideration of the question of the distinction between ordinary telepathy and that form of clairvoyance which is its astral counterpart.

There is in every human being a sense which is not generally recognized as such, although nearly every person has had more or less experience regarding its workings.  I refer to the sense of the presence of other living things, separate and apart from the operation of any of the five ordinary physical senses.  I ask you to understand that I am not claiming that this is a higher sense than the other physical senses, or that it has come to man in a high state of evolution.  On the contrary, this sense came to living things far back in the scale of evolution.  It is possessed by the higher forms of the lower animals, such as the horse, dog, and the majority of the wild beasts.  Savage and barbaric men have it more highly developed than it is in the case of the civilized man.  In fact, this physical sense may be termed almost vestigal in civilized man, because he has not actively used it for many generations.  For that matter, the physical sense of smell is also deficient in man, and for the same reason, whereas in the case of the lower animals, and savage man, the sense of smell is very keen.  I mention this for fear of misunderstanding.  In my little book, “The Astral World,” I have said:  “All occultists know that man really has seven senses, instead of merely five, though the additional two senses are not sufficiently developed for use in the average person (though the occultist generally unfolds them into use).”  Some have taken this to mean that the occultist develops these two extra physical senses, just as he does certain higher psychic or astral faculties.  But this is wrong.  The occultist, in such case, merely re-awakens these two senses which have been almost lost to the race.  By use and exercise he then develops them to a wonderful proficiency, for use on the physical plane.