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the brain； and materialists have found great comfort in this fact； while theologians and persons of little faith have been very much frightened by it。 But since no one ever pretended that thought can go on； under the conditions of the present life； without a brain； one finds it rather hard to sympathize either with the self…congratulations of Dr。 Buchner's disciples＇8＇ or with the terrors of their opponents。 But what has been less commonly remarked is the fact that when the thought and the molecular movement thus occur simultaneously； in no scientific sense is the thought the product of the molecular movement。 The sun…derived energy of motion latent in the food we eat is variously transformed within the organism； until some of it appears as the motion of the molecules of a little globule of nerve…matter in the brain。 In a rough way we might thus say that the chemical energy of the food indirectly produces the motion of these little nerve…molecules。 But does this motion of nerve…molecules now produce a thought or state of consciousness？ By no means。 It simply produces some other motion of nerve…molecules； and this in turn produces motion of contraction or expansion in some muscle； or becomes transformed into the chemical energy of some secreting gland。 At no point in the whole circuit does a unit of motion disappear as motion to reappear as a unit of consciousness。 The physical process is complete in itself； and the thought does not enter into it。 All that we can say is； that the occurrence of the thought is simultaneous with that part of the physical process which consists of a molecular movement in the brain。＇9＇ To be sure； the thought is always there when summoned； but it stands outside the dynamic circuit； as something utterly alien from and incomparable with the events which summon it。 No doubt； as Professor Tyndall observes； if we knew exhaustively the physical state of the brain； 〃the corresponding thought or feeling might be inferred； or； given the thought or feeling； the corresponding state of the brain might be inferred。 But how inferred？ It would be at bottom not a case of logical inference at all； but of empirical association。 You may reply that many of the inferences of science are of this character； the inference； for example； that an electric current of a given direction will deflect a magnetic needle in a definite way； but the cases differ in this； that the passage from the current to the needle； if not demonstrable； is thinkable； and that we entertain no doubt as to the final mechanical solution of the problem。 But the passage from the physics of the brain to the corresponding facts of consciousness is unthinkable。 Granted that a definite thought and a definite molecular action in the brain occur simultaneously； we do not possess the intellectual organ； nor apparently any rudiment of the organ； which would enable us to pass by a process of reasoning from the one to the other。 They appear together； but we do not know why。〃＇10＇
＇8＇ The Nation once wittily described these people as 〃people who believe that they are going to die like the beasts； and who congratulate themselves that they are going to die like the beasts。〃
＇9＇ For a fuller exposition of this point； see my Outlines of Cosmic Philosophy； Vol。 II。 pp。 436…445。
＇10＇ Fragments of Science； p。 119。
An unseen world consisting of purely psychical or spiritual phenomena would accordingly be demarcated by an absolute gulf from what we call the material universe； but would not necessarily be discontinuous with the psychical phenomena which we find manifested in connection with the world of matter。 The transfer of matter； or physical energy； or anything else that is quantitatively measurable； into such an unseen world； may be set down as impossible； by reason of the very definition of such a world。 Any hypothesis which should assume such a transfer would involve a contradiction in terms。 But the hypothesis of a survival of present psychical phenomena in such a world； after being denuded of material conditions； is not in itself absurd or self…contradictory； though it may be impossible to support it by any arguments drawn from the domain of human experience。 Such is the shape which it seems to me that； in the present state of philosophy； the hypothesis of a future life must assume。 We have nothing to say to gross materialistic notions of ghosts and bogies； and spirits that upset tables and whisper to ignorant vulgar women the wonderful information that you once had an aunt Susan。 The unseen world imagined in our hypothesis is not connected with the present material universe by any such 〃invisible bonds〃 as would allow Bacon and Addison to come to Boston and write the silliest twaddle in the most ungrammatical English before a roomful of people who have never learned how to test what they are pleased to call the 〃evidence of their senses。〃 Our hypothesis is expressly framed so as to exclude all intercourse whatever between the unseen world of spirit unconditioned by matter and the present world of spirit conditioned by matter in which all our experiences have been gathered。 The hypothesis being framed in such a way； the question is； What has philosophy to say to it？ Can we； by searching our experiences； find any reason for adopting such an hypothesis？ Or； on the other hand； supposing we can find no such reason； would the total failure of experimental evidence justify us in rejecting it？
The question is so important that I will restate it。 I have imagined a world made up of psychical phenomena； freed from the material conditions under which alone we know such phenomena。 Can we adduce any proof of the possibility of such a world？ Or if we cannot； does our failure raise the slightest presumption that such a world is impossible？
The reply to the first clause of the question is sufficiently obvious。 We have no experience whatever of psychical phenomena save as manifested in connection with material phenomena。 We know of Mind only as a group of activities which are never exhibited to us except through the medium of motions of matter。 In all our experience we have never encountered such activities save in connection with certain very complicated groupings of highly mobile material particles into aggregates which we call living organisms。 And we have never found them manifested to a very conspicuous extent save in connection with some of those specially organized aggregates which have vertebrate skeletons and mammary glands。 Nay； more； when we survey the net results of our experience up to the present time； we find indisputable evidence that in the past history of the visible universe psychical phenomena have only begun to be manifested in connection with certain complex aggregates of material phenomena。 As these material aggregates have age by age become more complex in structure； more complex psychical phenomena have been exhibited。 The development of Mind has from the outset been associated with the development of Matter。 And to…day； though none of us has any knowledge of the end of psychical phenomena in his own case； yet from all the marks by which we recognize such phenomena in our fellow…creatures； whether brute or human； we are taught that when certain material processes have been gradually or suddenly brought to an end； psychical phenomena are no longer manifested。 From first to last； therefore； our appeal to experience gets but one response。 We have not the faintest shadow of evidence wherewith to make it seem probable that Mind can exist except in connection with a material body。 Viewed from this standpoint of terrestrial experience； there is no more reason for supposing that consciousness survives the dissolution of the brain than for supposing that the pungent flavour of table…salt survives its decomposition into metallic sodium and gaseous chlorine。
Our answer from this side is thus unequivocal enough。 Indeed； so uniform has been the teaching of experience in this respect that even in their attempts to depict a life after death； men have always found themselves obliged to have recourse to materialistic symbols。 To the mind of a savage the future world is a mere reproduction of the present； with its everlasting huntings and fightings。 The early Christians looked forward to a renovation of the earth and the bodily resurrection from Sheol of the righteous。 The pictures of hell and purgatory； and even of paradise； in Dante's great poem； are so intensely materialistic as to seem grotesque in this more spiritual age。 But even to…day the popular conceptions of heaven are by no means freed from the notion of matter； and persons of high culture； who realize the inadequacy of these popular conceptions； are wont to avoid the difficulty by refraining from putting their hopes and beliefs into any definite or describable form。 Not unfrequently one sees a smile raised at the assumption of knowledge or insight by preachers who describe in eloquent terms the joys of a future state； yet the smile does not necessarily imply any scepticism as to the abstract probability of the soul's survival。 The scepticism is aimed at the character of the description rather than at the reality of the thing described。 It implies a tacit agreement； among cultivated people； that the un