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Let us pass then to the Second Stage。 There is a moment in the evolution of a childsomewhere perhaps about the age of three＇1＇when the simple almost animal…like consciousness of the babe is troubled by a new elementSELF…consciousness。 The change is so marked； so definite； that （in the depth of the infant's eyes） you can almost SEE it take place。 So in the evolution of the human race there has been a periodalso marked and definite； though extending intermittent over a vast interval of timewhen on men in general there dawned the consciousness of THEMSELVES； of their own thoughts and actions。 The old simple acceptance of sensations and experiences gave place to REFLECTION。 The question arose： 〃How do these sensations and experiences affect ME？ What can _I_ do to modify them； to encourage the pleasurable； to avoid or inhibit the painful； and so on？〃 From that moment a new motive was added to life。 The mind revolved round a new centre。 It began to spin like a little eddy round its own axis。 It studied ITSELF first and became deeply concerned about its own pleasures and pains； losing touch the while with the larger life which once dominated itthe life of Nature； the life of the Tribe。 The old unity of the spirit； the old solidarity； were broken up。
＇1＇ See Bucke's Cosmic Consciousness （Philadelphia； 1901）； pp。 1 and 39； also W。 McDougall's Social Psychology （1908）； p。 146 where the same age is tentatively suggested。
I have touched on this subject before； but it is so important that the reader must excuse repetition。 There came an inevitable severance； an inevitable period of strife。 The magic mirror of the soul； reflecting nature as heretofore in calm and simple grace； was suddenly cracked across。 The new self…conscious man （not all at once but gradually） became alienated from his tribe。 He lapsed into strife with his fellows。 Ambition； vanity； greed； the love of domination； the desire for property and possessions； set in。 The influences of fellowship and solidarity grew feebler。 He became alienated from his great Mother。 His instincts were less and less sureand that in proportion as brain… activity and self…regarding calculation took their place。 Love and mutual help were less compelling in proportion as the demands of self…interest grew louder and more insistent。 Ultimately the crisis came。 Cain murdered his brother and became an outcast。 The Garden of Eden and the Golden Age closed their gates behind him。 He entered upon a period of sufferinga period of labor and toil and sorrow such as he had never before known； and such as the animals certainly have never known。 And in that distressful state； in that doleful valley of his long pilgrimage； he still remains to…day。
Thus has the canker of self…consciousness done its work。 It would be foolish and useless to rail against the process； or to blame any one for it。 It had to be。 Through this dismal vale of self…seeking mankind had to passif only in order at last to find the True Self which was （and still remains） its goal。 The pilgrimage will not last for ever。 Indeed there are signs that the recent Great War and the following Events mark the lowest point of descent and the beginning of the human soul's return to sanity and ascent towards the heavenly Kingdom。 No doubt Man will arrive again SOME day at the grace； composure and leisurely beauty of life which the animals realized long ago； though he seems a precious long time about it； and when all this nightmare of Greed and Vanity and Self…conceit and Cruelty and Lust of oppression and domination； which marks the present period； is pastand it WILL passthen Humanity will come again to its Golden Age and to that Paradise of redemption and peace which has for so long been prophesied。
But we are dealing with the origins of Religion； and what I want the reader to see is that it was just this breaking up of the old psychologic unity and continuity of man with his surroundings which led to the whole panorama of the rituals and creeds。 Man； centering round himself； necessarily became an exile from the great Whole。 He committed the sin （if it was a sin） of Separation。 Anyhow Nemesis was swift。 The sense of loneliness and the sense of guilt came on him。 The realization of himself as a separate conscious being necessarily led to his attributing a similar consciousness of some kind to the great Life around him。 Action and reaction are equal and opposite。 Whatever he may have felt before； it became clear to him now that beings more or less like himselfthough doubtless vaster and more powerfulmoved behind the veil of the visible world。
From that moment the belief in Magic and Demons and Gods arose or slowly developed itself； and in the midst of this turmoil of perilous and conflicting powers； he perceived himself an alien and an exile； stricken with Fear； stricken with the sense of Sin。 If before； he had experienced fearin the kind of automatic way of self…preservation in which the animals feel ithe now； with fevered self… regard and excited imagination； experienced it in double or treble degree。 And if； before； he had been aware that fortune and chance were not always friendly and propitious to his designs； he now perceived or thought he perceived in every adverse happening the deliberate persecution of the powers； and an accusation of guilt directed against him for some neglect or deficiency in his relation to them。 Hence by a perfectly logical and natural sequence there arose the belief in other…world or supernatural powers； whether purely fortuitous and magical or more distinctly rational and personal； there arose the sense of Sin； or of offence against these powers； there arose a complex ritual of Expiationwhether by personal sacrifice and suffering or by the sacrifice of victims。 There arose too a whole catalogue of ceremoniesceremonies of Initiation； by which the novice should learn to keep within the good grace of the Powers； and under the blessing of his Tribe and the protection of its Totem； ceremonies of Eucharistic meals which should restore the lost sanctity of the common life and remove the sense of guilt and isolation； ceremonies of Marriage and rules and rites of sex…connection； fitted to curb the terrific and demonic violence of passions which else indeed might easily rend the community asunder。 And so on。 It is easy to see that granted an early stage of simple unreflecting nature…consciousness； and granting this broken into and； after a time； shattered by the arrival of SELF…consciousness there would necessarily follow in spontaneous yet logical order a whole series of religious institutions and beliefs； which phantasmal and unreal as they may appear to us； were by no means unreal to our ancestors。 It is easy also to see that as the psychological process was necessarily of similar general character in every branch of the human race and all over the world； so the religious evolutionsthe creeds and ritualstook on much the same complexion everywhere； and； though they differed in details according to climate and other influences； ran on such remarkably parallel lines as we have noted。
Finally； to make the whole matter clear； let me repeat that this event； the inbreak of Self…consciousness； took place； or BEGAN to take place； an enormous time ago； perhaps in the beginning of the Neolithic Age。 I dwell on the word 〃began〃 because I think it is probable that in its beginnings； and for a long period after； this newborn consciousness had an infantile and very innocent character； quite different from its later and more aggressive formsjust as we see self…consciousness in a little child has a charm and a grace which it loses later in a boastful or grasping boyhood and manhood。 So we may understand that though self…consciousness may have begun to appear in the human race at this very early time （and more or less contemporaneously with the invention of very rude tools and unformed language）； there probably did elapse a very long period perhaps the whole of the Neolithic Agebefore the evils of this second stage of human evolution came to a head。 Max Muller has pointed out that among the words which are common to the various branches of Aryan language； and which therefore belong to the very early period before the separation of these branches； there are not found the words denoting war and conflict and the weapons and instruments of strifea fact which suggests a long continuance of peaceful habit among mankind AFTER the first formation and use of language。
That the birth of language and the birth of self…consciousness were APPROXIMATELY simultaneous is a probable theory； and one favored by many thinkers；＇1＇ but the slow beginnings of both must have been so very protracted that it is perhaps useless to attempt any very exact determination。 Late researches seem to show that language began in what might be called TRIBAL expressions of mood and feeling （holophrases like 〃go…hunting…kill…bear〃） without reference to individual personalities and relationships； and that it was only at a later stage that words like 〃I〃 and 〃Thou〃 came into use； and the holophrases broke up into 〃parts of speech〃 and took on a definite grammatical structure。＇2＇ If true； these facts point clearly to a long foreground of rude communal language； something like t