The Particles of Substance have enough Life and Mind to enable them to move, receive and respond to impressions, and to exert force in accordance with the Law of Attraction—but there it stops. The Crystals show signs of something like taking nourishment, but the real taking of food may be said to commence with the Monera. Not until very high degrees of Life and Mind are attained, do "creatures" begin to exhibit Consciousness, and that which is called "Understanding" is still higher in the scale, and not until Man is reached does the faculty of turning the mental searchlight inward manifest itself. These matters are mentioned here merely to prevent misunderstanding and misapprehension.
But still, do not forget—the Particles of Substance receive impressions and respond thereto—they act and exert Force and Energy—they manifest Life and Mentation.
CHAPTER V
THE STORY OF SUBSTANCE
AS we stated in a former chapter, there are two Aspects of All-Things, viz., (1) Substance; (2) Mind. In this and the following two chapters we shall consider the first one, Substance, which Science calls "Matter."
Perhaps it would be as well to begin by asking ourselves the question: "What is Substance?" The answer seems to be: "Anything that takes up room; the Body aspect of Things; matter occupying space, etc." Some writers have spoken of Substance as "something tangible—that can be felt," but this definition will not do, for there are forms of Substance too fine to be felt. And so, perhaps the definition "The Body of Things," is as good a definition as any, taken in connection with the thought that it "takes up room."
Science divides Substance (which it calls "Matter") into four general classes, viz.: (1) Solid Matter, which is Substance, the parts of which closely adhere and resist impression, such as stone, wood, flesh, etc., the degrees of solidity varying greatly, and sometimes shading into the next class, which is called:
(2) Liquid Matter, which may be described as Substance, the parts of which have a free motion among themselves, and easily yield to impression, such as water, molasses, etc., the degree of fluidity ranging from some liquids that flow very slowly, such as hot pitch, up to others that flow very freely, such as water, wine, etc., the property of fluidity being also shared by the next higher class, which is called:
(3) Aeriform Matter, which is Substance in the form of "elastic fluid," such as air, gas, vapor, etc.; and
(4) Radiant Matter, which is of recent recognition, and which is an ultra-gaseous form of Substance, utterly unlike anything ever before known, consisting of the tiniest particles of "corpuscles" of Substance finer and more subtle than the rarest form of atomic substance known to Science.