The term “mortal” we have already defined.  The compound immortal, applied to individual man, stands for one who has made his “at-one-ment” with Om, and who has, while still in the mortal body, re-cognized himself as one with Om.

This is what it means to escape the “second death,” to which the merely mortal consciousness is subject.

This is the goal of every human life; this is the essence, the substance of all religious systems and all philosophies.

The only chance for disputation among theologians and philosophers, lies in the way of accomplishing this at-one-ment.  There is not the slightest opportunity for a difference of opinion as what they wish to accomplish.

Admitting then, that the goal of every soul is the same—­immortality—­(the mortal consciousness cognizing itself as Om), we come to a consideration of the evidence we may find in support of this axiom.  This evidence we do not find satisfactory, in spirit communication; in psychic experiences; in hypnotic phenomena; and astral trips; important, and reliable as these many psychic research phenomena are.

These are not satisfactory or convincing evidences of our at-one-ment with Om, because they do not preclude the probability of the “second death;” but on the contrary, they verify it.

However, aside from all these psychic phenomena, there is a phase of human experience, much more rare but becoming somewhat general, that transcends phenomena of every kind.

The western world has given to these experiences the term “cosmic consciousness,” which term is self explanatory.

The Orientals have long known of this goal of the soul, and they have terms to express this, varying with the many types of the Oriental mind, but all meaning the same thing.  This meaning, from our Occidental viewpoint, is best translated in the term liberation, signifying to be set free from the limitations of sense, and of self-consciousness, and to have glimpsed the larger area of consciousness, that takes in the very cosmos.

This experience is accompanied by a great light, whether this light is manifested as spiritual, or as intellectual power, determines its expression.

The object of this book is to call attention to some of the more pronounced instances of this Illumination, and to classify them, according as they have been expressed through religions enthusiasm; poetical fervor; or great intellectual power.

But we have also one other argument to make, and this we present with a conviction of its truth, while conceding that it must remain a theory, until proven, each individual, man or woman, for himself and herself.  The postulate is this:  immortality (i.e. godhood) is bi-sexual.  No male person can by any possibility become an immortal god, in, of and by himself; no female person can be complete without the “other half” that makes the ONE.

Each and every SOUL, therefore, has its spiritual counterpart—­its “other half,” with which it unites on the spiritual plane, when the time comes for attainment of immortality.