This equation’s writ
     In every scene: 
     The end shall fit—­
     As extremes to mean—­
     Whatever’s forerunner to it. 
     —­The author.

Principle—­The best use of self demands that it be understood.

Our ideal specimen of human nature is the whole man at his best.

The etheric life demands (a) the vibrations native to the body in health—­(Physical Magnetism)—­(b) the vibrations induced by the active mind, (c) the vibrations intensified by controlled emotional states, (d) the regulative vibrations of psychic righteousness or honor—­(Psychic Magnetism).  In this scheme nothing is inferior, but all elements are appointed to be subordinate to the last.  These vibrations should run through the whole etheric activity a binding thread of force.

We are now to study the four pyramids of the etheric life.  The purpose is four-fold.  If you will put yourself into this lesson as you have, presumably, put yourself into the preceding twenty-six lessons, you will discover—­

Firstly—­Magnetic concentration;

Secondly—­The relation of the divisions of self to the whole self;

Thirdly—­A better understanding of your personality;

Fourthly—­The supreme importance of psychic righteousness.

It is altogether probable that the majority of people live almost wholly in the physical pyramids of existence.

Properly speaking, the illustration on page 422 is a single pyramid rather than four pyramids.  It is composed of four triangular walls, each of which is called a pyramid for convenience and represents a certain phase of your nature.  The great pyramidal I am is complete only as all sides of your selfhood are fully built up.  You are looking down from the “I am.”

A CURIOUS ILLUSTRATION.

A point has neither length, breadth, nor thickness.  Move it in thought any distance in one direction, and you have the line.  Move the line from its direction any distance, you have the surface.  Move the surface out of its plane any distance, you have the solid.  Thus you have obtained length, breadth, thickness, line, surface, solid, motion, space, time, number, structure, body, and, in the attention, mind,—­and scores of other factors (study out a long list),—­by means of that which has no length, no breadth, no thickness.

The real you is that point.  You move and describe a line of life.  This line, repeated, becomes habit, which moved through time, makes conduct, and right conduct, projected through life, yields magnetism.

If you live only on surface I, you are mere animal.  If you project, that surface through to III, you are a fine moral person.  If you project surface II through to surface IV, you are magnetic.  If you combine these solids, you are the Ideal Pyramid, “I am power.”