Chapter 10

THE NATURE OF ETHER AND SUNLIGHT. (March 23, 1842)

[10.1] You may have already heard here and there that the lower a region of the earth is, the more compact, the denser is the air in that area. This is a quite natural consequence, for not only the air, but also everything else becomes denser as it radiates closer to the center. The farther away from the center, the more loosely joined are the components of the radiation.

[10.2] We already know what the air surrounding the earth is, partly from present information, but still more from other explanations which have been given about things in the natural world.

[10.3] But, to lift from you the burden of a lengthy search, I tell you again that the air, as well as all matter, is nothing but a spiritual-material, material-spiritual conflict, and the deeper these spiritual potencies lie, the angrier they are, and the higher above the planets they keep themselves, the more loving, peaceful and constant they are.

[10.4] Now that we understand this, it will not be hard for us, at least in a general overview, to recognize the earth with its surrounding atmosphere and according to its content, cheerfully say: The earth, and as far as its atmosphere reaches, is nothing but a gradation of spirits, having placed themselves on such a planet to begin the familiar ‘return journey.’

[10.5] “Yes”, you will ask, “what fills up the wide space between the sun and a planet?”

[10.6] The scientists say that it is an exceptionally light and compliant ether. But what would the physicists say if they had to visibly demonstrate what this ether actually is?

[10.7] Really, this would hardly be the fifty-dollar question! For one thing, you can’t see ether through any microscope, since not even the much denser air can be seen even partially through a microscope. The physicists could analyze the ether chemically if they could get some in their retorts. But since the actual region of the ether begins at a height of 7, 10, 14 and - towards the North Pole, at a height of 34 miles above the earth, it would be extremely difficult for the scientists to obtain ether for their research.

[10.8] But we want to travel on a road much more comfortable and certain, namely, that of inner faith, trust, and true love. On that road the star, Sirius, will be visually much closer to the cowboy and the shepherd than is the raindrop which has fallen on the nose of an exceedingly mathematical scientist who is on the dark road of short-sighted research, using the human mind.

[10.9] And so we say; the ether, likewise, is a spiritual entity which, to all planets, stands in a ‘positive’, but to the suns, in a ‘negative’ relationship.

[10.10] The ether consists of pure, peaceful and patient spirits; if this were not so, how difficult it would be for the planets to make their long journey around the sun at an extraordinary speed.

[10.11] But because the ether is formed from the most pure, peaceful and compliant spirits, nothing finds in their existence an obstacle to its motion, - be the moving entity or thing ever so small and insignificant.