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soak through all things so （we feel） do abstract and essential
goodness； beauty； strength； significance； justice； soak through
all things good； strong； significant； and just。
Such ideas； and others equally abstract； form the background for
all our facts； the fountain…head of all the possibilities we
conceive of。 They give its 〃nature；〃 as we call it； to every
special thing。 Everything we know is 〃what〃 it is by sharing in
the nature of one of these abstractions。 We can never look
directly at them； for they are bodiless and featureless and
footless； but we grasp all other things by their means； and in
handling the real world we should be stricken with helplessness
in just so far forth as we might lose these mental objects； these
adjectives and adverbs and predicates and heads of classification
and conception。
This absolute determinability of our mind by abstractions is one
of the cardinal facts in our human constitution。 Polarizing and
magnetizing us as they do； we turn towards them and from them； we
seek them； hold them； hate them； bless them； just as if they were
so many concrete beings。 And beings they are； beings as real in
the realm which they inhabit as the changing things of sense are
in the realm of space。
Plato gave so brilliant and impressive a defense of this common
human feeling； that the doctrine of the reality of abstract
objects has been known as the platonic theory of ideas ever
since。 Abstract Beauty； for example； is for Plato a perfectly
definite individual being； of which the intellect is aware as of
something additional to all the perishing beauties of the earth。
〃The true order of going；〃 he says； in the often quoted passage
in his 〃Banquet；〃 〃is to use the beauties of earth as steps along
which one mounts upwards for the sake of that other Beauty； going
from one to two； and from two to all fair forms； and from fair
forms to fair actions； and from fair actions to fair notions；
until from fair notions； he arrives at the notion of absolute
Beauty； and at last knows what the essence of Beauty is。〃＇22＇ In
our last lecture we had a glimpse of the way in which a
platonizing writer like Emerson may treat the abstract divineness
of things； the moral structure of the universe； as a fact worthy
of worship。 In those various churches without a God which to…day
are spreading through the world under the name of ethical
societies； we have a similar worship of the abstract divine； the
moral law believed in as an ultimate object。 〃Science〃 in many
minds is genuinely taking the place of a religion。 Where this is
so； the scientist treats the 〃Laws of Nature〃 as objective facts
to be revered。 A brilliant school of interpretation of Greek
mythology would have it that in their origin the Greek gods were
only half…metaphoric personifications of those great spheres of
abstract law and order into which the natural world falls
apartthe sky…sphere； the ocean…sphere； the earth…sphere； and
the like； just as even now we may speak of the smile of the
morning； the kiss of the breeze； or the bite of the cold； without
really meaning that these phenomena of nature actually wear a
human face。＇23＇
＇22＇ Symposium； Jowett； 1871； i。 527。
＇23＇ Example： 〃Nature is always so interesting； under whatever
aspect she shows herself； that when it rains； I seem to see a
beautiful woman weeping。 She appears the more beautiful； the
more afflicted she is。〃 B。 de St。 Pierre。
As regards the origin of the Greek gods； we need not at present
seek an opinion。 But the whole array of our instances leads to a
conclusion something like this： It is as if there were in the
human consciousness a sense of reality； a feeling of objective
presence； a perception of what we may call 〃something there；〃
more deep and more general than any of the special and particular
〃senses〃 by which the current psychology supposes existent
realities to be originally revealed。 If this were so； we might
suppose the senses to waken our attitudes and conduct as they so
habitually do； by first exciting this sense of reality； but
anything else； any idea； for example； that might similarly excite
it； would have that same prerogative of appearing real which
objects of sense normally possess。 So far as religious
conceptions were able to touch this reality…feeling； they would
be believed in in spite of criticism； even though they might be
so vague and remote as to be almost unimaginable； even though
they might be such non…entities in point of WHATNESS； as Kant
makes the objects of his moral theology to be。
The most curious proofs of the existence of such an
undifferentiated sense of reality as this are found in
experiences of hallucination。 It often happens that an
hallucination is imperfectly developed： the person affected will
feel a 〃presence〃 in the room； definitely localized； facing in
one particular way； real in the most emphatic sense of the word；
often coming suddenly； and as suddenly gone； and yet neither
seen； heard； touched； nor cognized in any of the usual 〃sensible〃
ways。 Let me give you an example of this； before I pass to the
objects with whose presence religion is more peculiarly
concerned。
An intimate friend of mine； one of the keenest intellects I know；
has had several experiences of this sort。 He writes as follows
in response to my inquiries：
〃I have several times within the past few years felt the so…
called 'consciousness of a presence。' The experiences which I
have in mind are clearly distinguishable from another kind of
experience which I have had very frequently； and which I fancy
many persons would also call the 'consciousness of a presence。'
But the difference for me between the two sets of experience is
as great as the difference between feeling a slight warmth
originating I know not where； and standing in the midst of a
conflagration with all the ordinary senses alert。
〃It was about September； 1884； when I had the first experience。
On the previous night I had had； after getting into bed at my
rooms in College； a vivid tactile hallucination of being grasped
by the arm； which made me get up and search the room for an
intruder； but the sense of presence properly so called came on
the next night。 After I had got into bed and blown out the
candle； I lay awake awhile thinking on the previous night's
experience； when suddenly I FELT something come into the room and
stay close to my bed。 It remained only a minute or two。 I did