Spirit and Matter - The Spirit's Book

21. Has matter existed from all eternity, like God, or has it been created at some definite

period of time?

"God only knows. There is, nevertheless, one point which your reason should suffice to show

you, viz., that God, the prototype of love and beneficence, can never have been inactive.

However far off in the past you may imagine the beginning of His action, can you suppose

Him to have been for a single moment inactive?"

22. Matter is generally defined as being "that which has extension," "that which can make an

impression upon our senses," "that which possesses impenetrability." Are these definitions

correct?

"From your point of view they are correct, because you can only define in accordance with

what you know. But matter exists in states which are unknown to you. it may be, for instance, so ethereal and subtle as to make no impression upon your senses; and yet it is still matter, although it would not be such for you."

- What definition can you give of matter?

"Matter is the element which enchains spirit, the instrument which serves it, and upon which, at the same time, it exerts its action."

From this point of view it may be said that matter is the agent, the intermediary, through which, and upon which, spirit acts.

23. What is spirit?

"The intelligent principle of the universe."

- What is the essential nature of spirit?

"It is not possible to explain the nature of spirit in your language. For you it is not a thing,

because it is not palpable; but for us it is a thing."

24. Is spirit synonymous with intelligence?

"Intelligence is an essential attribute of spirit, but both merge in a unitary principle, so that,

for you, they may be said to be the same thing."

25. Is spirit independent of matter, or is it only one of the pro properties of matter, as colours

are a property of light, and as sound is a property of the air? 

"Spirit and matter are distinct from one another; but the union of spirit and matter is

necessary to give intelligent activity to matter."

- Is this union equally necessary to the manifestation of spirit? (We refer, in this question, to the principle of intelligence, abstractly considered, without reference to the individualities designated by that term.)

"It is necessary for you, because you are not organised for perceiving spirit apart from matter. Your senses are not formed for that order of perception."

26. Can spirit be conceived of without matter, and matter without spirit?

"Undoubtedly, as objects of thought."

27. There are, then, two general elements of the universe matter and spirit?"

"Yes; and above them both is God, the Creator, Parent of all things. These three elements are

the principle of all that exists-the universal trinity. But to the material element must be added the universal fluid which plays the part of intermediary between spirit and matter, the nature of the latter being too gross for spirit to be able to act directly upon it. Although, from another point of view, this fluid may be classed as forming part of the material element, it is,

nevertheless, distinguished from that element by certain special properties of its own. If it

could be classed simply and absolutely as matter, there would be no reason why spirit also should not be classed as matter. It is intermediary between spirit and matter. It is fluid, just as matter is matter, and is susceptible of being made, through its innumerable combinations with matter, under the directing action of spirit, to produce the infinite variety of things of which you know as yet but a very small portion. This universal, primitive, or elementary fluid, being the agent employed by spirit in acting upon matter is the principle without which matter would remain for ever in a state of division, and would never acquire the properties given to it by the state of ponderability."

-Is this fluid what we designate by the name of electricity?

"We have said that it is susceptible of innumerable combinations. What you call the electric fluid, the magnetic fluid, etc., are modifications of the universal fluid, which, properly speaking, is only matter of a more perfect and more subtle kind, and that may be considered as having an independent existence of its own."

28. Since spirit itself is something, would it not be more correct and clearer to designate

these two general elements by the terms inert matter and intelligent matter ?

"Questions of words are of little importance for us. It is for you to formulate your definitions

in such a manner as to make yourselves intelligible to one another. Your disputes almost

always arise from the want of a common agreement in the use of the words you employ,

owing to the incompleteness of your language in regard to all that does not strike your

senses."

One fact, patent to all observers, dominates all our hypotheses. We see matter which is not intelligent: we see the action of an intelligent principle independent of matter. The origin and connection of these two things are unknown to us. Whether they have, or have not. a common source. and points of contact pre-ordained in the nature of things. whether intelligence has an independent existence of its own. or is only a property or an effect, or even whether it is (as some assume it to be) an emanation of the Divinity, are points about which we know nothing. Matter and intelligence appear to us to be distinct; and we therefore speak of them as being two constituent elements of the universe. We see, above these, a higher intelligence which governs all things, and is distinguished from them all by essential attributes peculiar to itself; It is this Supreme Intelligence that we call God.

From The Spirit's Book - Chapter II - Spirit and Matter - Ed Federação Espírita Brasileira FEB