LOOM OF CREATION

By Dennis Milner and Edward Smart

CHAPTER X
Etheric Forces Associated With Substantial Matter

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In the creation of the world as outlined in Part II four stages of evolution have to be envisaged. In each of these an etheric force came into existence and each force was a more refined, or further evolved, creation than the then existing etheric state. In the preceding work on the formation of shapes the light etheric force has been registered and, because light ether devolves to warmth ether and warmth ether evolves to light ether, information has also been obtained about warmth ether activity. Light ether registers as raying-out formations, warmth ether as spherical forms. The results that follow show some examples of the behaviour of these forces in relation to specimens of various materials placed in the sandwich. The other two etheric forces, or etheric states, are chemical ether and life ether. Since chemical ether devolves to light ether and vice versa it might be expected that under suitable conditions it would also register on a photographic plate, and some of the results which follow suggest this to be so. Chemical ether gives rise to ‘drawing-in’ circular-disc formations. Life ether, being two stages removed from light ether, is less likely to register directly with the present photographic technique. The action of the life etheric force is to sub-divide and individualise and its presence would appear to register indirectly when it exerts this effect on the other etheric forces, as will be seen in some of the results. In its shaping aspect it gives rise to planar, squared-off, formations as in solid cubic crystals. We have from
time to time registered an apparent effect of this nature and some examples are shown.

Experiments with liquids
In the previous section it was shown that a variety of patterns were registered on a photographic plate according to the electrical pulse characteristics and the air gap in the sandwich. By modifying the sandwich to contain a thin layer of liquid in a circular cell it was found that the behaviour of the light ether emerging from the liquid on application of a pulse, as registered on a photographic plate 2-3 hundredths of an inch in front of the liquid surface, was related to the nature of the liquid. Again we would suggest an explanation for our results in terms of the concepts of objective mysticism, and we have to outline the relevant principles on which we draw before we can present the pattern of behaviour as we see it.

Every feature of the material world comes about as the result of a spiritual plan which becomes manifest through the etheric forces. Thus, referring to fig. 70, there existed first a spiritual plan. In stage 1 of material creation this plan became tenuously manifest in the sphere-forming warmth etheric state. In stage 2 it became manifest in the luminous raying-out etheric state and in gaseous substance; in stage 3 in the drawing-in chemical etheric disc-forming and the liquid state. In stage 4 the plan manifests in the life etheric state and in solid individualised forms, and it is only at this stage that the plan becomes manifest as the world of solid, liquid and gaseous substances which
we perceive with our sense organs.

In their normal condition substances are in a state of balance between their inner etheric force structure and the etheric forces in the environment. When electricity/light etheric force is passed through substance it alters the balance towards the direction of the unmanifest, unformed chaos, and the warmth etheric state, i.e., from the stage 4 state towards the direction of the stage 1 state of fig. 70 (increasing
entropy). We propose that this happens when we pass electricity through the liquid layer – that it converts some small part of the manifest plan of the liquid back towards the unmanifest state, or state where it manifests only at etheric levels. This is in effect a process of de-materialization. What manifests and registers on the photographic plate is then determined by the etheric structure of the liquid and how this responds to the excess of the raying-out, expansive, light etheric force which is put into it.

Under suitable constant experimental conditions, chosen to bring out marked differences between various liquids, the types of structures registered experimentally lie between two extremes exemplified by alcohol [fig. 7 1 (a)] and sulphuric acid [fig. 71 (b)]. From the viewpoint of objective mysticism liquids span a range of evolution lying between the low density, near chaotic, gaseous state and the dense, individualised, solid state. Alcohol registers a pattern in which the warmth sphere, near chaotic, state is dominant, glowing slightly with light ether influence [fig. 7 1 (a)]. This is consistent with the physical nature and behaviour of alcohol, in that it is a liquid of low density which readily and spontaneously vaporises to the more chaotic state. It is also a good solvent i.e., it readily takes up and ‘chaoticises’ many organic substances. Compare the well known ‘chaoticising’ effect of alcohol on the human brain. On drinking alcohol there is a direct experience of the part physical (etheric), part spiritual, action of freed warmth ether in the physical burning/warmth sensation, combined with a ‘spiritual’ experience of increased warmth or sociability. In this respect alcohol is an illustration of a psychosomatic material i.e., a substance that
readily spans the psychic-somatic threshold. The action of warmth ether in outer nature is exemplified in the plant world in spherical, mulberry type formations, and it may be of significance in this respect that alcohol is widely and readily obtained from bunches of grapes which have this formation.

Sulphuric acid, at the other end of the scale, shows a pattern of irregular warmth ether structures which are filled with raying-out light ether shapes. Very similar patterns are obtained with other strong acids and with sodium and potassium hydroxide as well as with solutions of some salts in water. These types of materials are characterised by the fact that they readily ionise. This we would interpret in terms of etheric
force concepts. They comprise a powerful condensing life ether force centre, opposed by a strong electrical/light ether raying-out expansive force component. In the liquid state it is possible for these two aspects to become to some extent independent. When excess light etheric force is passed through such a liquid, as in these experiments, it “boosts” and frees the light etheric aspect of the liquid in the direction of the photographic plate. Thus what registers is a multiplicity of ‘freed’ light etheric structures within warmth ether envelopes, as in fig. 71(b). The warmth ether cannot take up its own characteristic spherical formation because of the strong light ether influence and also the vestiges of the life ether force in the liquid from which it has emerged.

Other liquids appear to lie between these two extremes. Thus, for example, acetone gives rise to a pattern in which warmth spheres are dominant, as with alcohol, but the spheres have ‘inner structures’ which we will consider later [fig. 71(c)]. Acetic acid, on the other hand, tends towards the sulphuric acid picture, but the pattern is less differentiated and individualised than that of the strong acids and alkalis [fig. 71(d)].

It is rather more difficult to get the electricity/ light etheric force to pass through and yield up the plan of water. A rather more intense application of electricity is required and even then the ‘character’ of water does not appear as an overall uniform pattern, but only in localised regions [fig. 72(a)]. The essential, water, aspect of this picture is conveyed by the dissociating bright spots. The light etheric raying-out registrations are related to the air above the water and to the types of structures discussed in the previous section on the formation of patterns from air gaps.

The interpretation that we suggest for these bright spots and the type of behaviour that they exhibit is that they arise from a combination of the action of all four etheric forces. In fig 72(a) there can be seen a number of bright round ‘spots’ of various sizes. It is also evident that these spots are ‘dissociating’ ie., breaking up into more spots. These spots are very bright, showing a powerful light etheric force influence, but on the other hand there are none of the raying-out formations characteristic of the light etheric force. Our interpretation of this is that the basic warmth ether has taken up its spherical structure and within this there is a powerful circular disc-forming, chemical ether force (the fluid state force). This combination of spherical and circular disc-forming forces overcomes the raying-out force of the light ether. However, the light etheric influence being powerful, it builds up its expansive pressure within the warmth-chemical ether structure and tries to expand it. But this expansion takes place into the individualising, sub-dividing, life etheric force field of the earth, so that, instead of expansion, a dissociation into discrete spherical/disc forms occurs.

We would suggest that it is these forces, acting in this sort of way, that are responsible for cell division in biological systems and for the dissociation of mineral salts dissolved in water. Because the etheric structure of water is a balance of etheric forces that can be readily influenced one way or the other, it is ‘fluid’ and particularly the fluid medium in which life processes are enacted.

The pattern of water is modified when other constituents are added to it. Fig. 72(b) shows a result obtained with mercurialis (dog mercury) plant extract in 20% alcohol, 80% water. Here, as with water, the combined action of the etheric forces has brought about sub-dividing luminous spots. However, in this case the ‘drawing-in’, circular disc-forming action of the chemical etheric force is not so powerful. It may not show clearly in the reproduced picture, bot on the negative it can be seen that the chemical ether tends not to fill the warmth ether spheres, but to form separate discs within them. Because of the reduced chemical ether, drawing-in, force the light ether is to some extent able to manifest its raying-out properties, but only in a somewhat restrained manner.

Ananassae fruit (pineapple) extract in 20% alcohol, 80% water, gives the impression of containing different constituents, [fig. 72(c)] some of which produce a similar effect to mercurialis plant extract, while others change the balance of forces in the opposite direction. Thus, while there are restrained raying-out spots, there is also more marked dissociation, in some case triple simultaneous dissociation, and the spots so formed tend to be smaller, suggesting a more constraining chemical ether effect.

It has been mentioned that the results for acetone and mercurialis plant extracts show warmth spheres with inner structures. A variety of such structures has been registered using different materials, such as those illustrated in fig. 72(d). Generally these structures comprise combinations of two or three features. These are the basic warmth ether with its own spherical formation, an inner bright disc and a central bright or black core. The bright inner disc we interpret as the inward drawing chemical ether force. The luminosity of this disc, which can be present to a greater or lesser extent, is the light etheric force constrained by the chemical ether. The central ‘core’ we suggest is due to the ‘grasping’ life etheric force.

A different type of result is obtained with liquids if, instead of passing electricity through a uniform layer, a sample is put in the centre of the sandwich. Then a lateral component is introduced i.e., instead of the phenomena emanating from the surface of the liquid towards, and onto, the photographic plate above, the etheric force emanations are registered coming away from the liquid laterally. Two methods have been
used to obtain this type of result. In one method a sample of the liquid is placed in an annular hollow in the lower glass plate, in the other method a piece of filter paper moistened with the liquid is put on the lower plate in the sandwich. On applying a pulse of electricity etheric emanations emerge laterally from the specimen, which register on the photographic plate above. A repetition of the pulse causes a further
burst of emanation. By multiple pulsing it is possible to build up the exposure so as to obtain registrations on colour film. It is then found that the etheric emanations register at different levels, or colours, in the emulsion. With water a wide variety of results has been obtained [fig. 73, p. 182], indicative of its fluid nature and the way in which it changes with every change in circumstances. Using the electrostatic generator, multiple pulse, technique it was not possible to gain sufficiently rigorous control of the factors involved to be able to determine the causes of these changes.

A particularly interesting result has been obtained in this way with a homoeopathic remedy. It has been pointed out in Part II that in homoeopathic medical practice it is claimed that very highly dilute preparations are efficacious in stimulating healing. Objective mysticism offers an explanation for this phenomenon in that, according to this viewpoint, matter is the incorporation as substance of the etheric forces which otherwise act freely in Nature, bringing about amongst other things the healthy functioning of the human body. The basic concept involved is that the more the substance is broken down or dispersed, e.g., by diluting it in water, the more the etheric force associated with it becomes freed. A few experiments have been made with homoeopathic remedy Pulsatilla, starting with dilution 04 and further diluting with water in a comparatively random manner. Pieces of filter paper were moistened with the various dilutions and examined with colour film using the multiple pulse technique. The filter paper which was wet with Pulsatilla in its initial dilution registered blue-grey with a blue surround [fig. 74(a), p. 207]. With further dilution the filter paper registered red and there was evidence of emanation from the blue surround [fig. 74(b)]. A change of this nature was reproducibly obtained. However, on one occasion, with greater dilution the red colouration was much more intense and also spread throughout the surround and background [fig. 74(c)]. Much more precise control of the experimental conditions is required to evaluate this phenomenon than was obtainable with the electrostatic generator, multiple pulse, technique. We think that dilution of the Pulsatilla, combined with the application of a suitable rate of pulsing of the expansive, de materialising, light etheric force, has brought about a freeing ofthe etheric force associated with the homoeopathic remedy, and this has affected the light etheric registration on the colour film. It has been our experience that the rate of application of the light ether pulse to substances markedly affects the etheric emanations that are obtained from them, and that in some cases a particular result is quite critically dependent on this factor.

Etheric structures produced by etheric force interactions

In the first part of this description of our experimental researches some account was given of the shape forming behaviour of the etheric forces as brought about by an electrical/light ether impulse applied to an air gap. In the second part it was shown how the etheric structures of liquids interact with the electrical/light ether impulse to give rise to a variety of formations on the photographic plates. It was also shown how by introducing a lateral component into the electrical/light ether field a sideways spread of the etheric forces occurs which enhances the display of their formations. A method by which the lateral effect can be made more pronounced is that given by Michael Watson (see fig. W1 3c, p. 303 of Watson’s report at the end of this book). Instead of using a metal plate on either side of the sandwich, an insulating material is
used for the bottom plate, with a metal stud in the centre. With a full metal plate on the other side of the sandwich the electric field then has a marked and controllable lateral component and the behaviour of the electricity/light ether, and any interaction it has with substances placed on the central stud, can be more clearly seen. It is then possible to produce interactions which result in a variety of forms that have obvious analogies with those produced by the freely acting inter-weaving etheric forces in outer Nature.

A simple basic form of light ether raying-out from a centre, obtained by a low pressure pulse of light ether raying into air at reduced pressure, is shown in fig. 75(a). This picture has an obvious correlation with chrysanthemum types of formations in the plant world. Such formations come about by the response of the plant to the light etheric force, after it has exhausted its combined chemical-light ether response in
forming foliage. The next three photographs [figs. 75 (b), (c) and (d)] show the light etheric force acting in various combinations with the chemical etheric force to give rise to a series of forms which show a similar relationship to the feather-plant-shell sequence referred to in Part II. The first of these, that of the ‘feather’, was obtained with a higher light ether pressure raying-out into a higher air pressure than the chrysanthemum picture. The more rounded flower-like form of fig. 75(c) shows a stronger chemical ether influence. This corresponds to the intermediate position of the plant forces between the feather forces and the shell forces of fig. 75(d). This latter picture was obtained by curtailing the raying-out of the light etheric force, by placing on the metal stud a piece of filter paper wet with common salt solution.

The sequence of forms in fig. 76 is more chemical ether dominated, but with an increasing sub-dividing, individualising, life etheric force influence, giving rise to petal-like formations. Fig. 76(a) shows a disc-like structure with an incipient subdivision into ‘petals’. This was obtained by putting a piece of filter paper, wet with salt solution on the metal stud, under conditions somewhat similar to those for the scallop shell picture, except that the light ether influence was reduced. It is necessary to emphasise that this object, which looks very solid and even casts a shadow, is entirely an etheric force structure formed in the air gap in the sandwich. It is regularly recorded in the literature of psychism and mysticism that the objects and entities perceived in ‘other worlds’ are just as real and solid in relation to the state of physical consciousness. In this picture there is a bright central region. Beneath this central region, and small than it, was the metal stud with an equivalently small piece of filter paper wet with common salt solution. A pulse of electricity was passed upwards into the wet filter paper and we imagine that the expansive force of the light ether has expanded outwards the chemical ether force field/structure/aura of the wet filter paper. Then, on the downward part of the electrical pulse, light ether has emerged from the upper (photographic) plate and has been reflected from the chemical ether disc to produce the image that we see.

The picture in fig. 76(b) shows a more translucent, more petalled, structure obtained by putting a piece of filter paper wet with water on the metal stud. Wetting the filter paper with paraffin oil causes the round disc-formation to be enhanced, with the petal-like structure confined within it [fig. 76(c)]. In fig. 76(d) filter paper wet with common salt solution has been used, but the electrical conditions were changed to give a more pronounced lateral effect. In all of these examples of electrical/light ether interaction with the etheric forces of liquids the shapes produced find many analogies in the plant world.

To obtain fig. 77 a small disc of wet filter paper was put on the small metal stud to which heat was applied as well as the electrical pulse. This has given rise to a circular disc, at the periphery of which tree-like light ether structures have been formed with ‘roots’ raying in and trunk and foliage raying outwards. The general impression is of a ‘world’ of etheric forces, acting in much the same way that they work to produce the earth globe and its peripheral vegetation.

Formations in the Mineral World

An essential feature of the concept of etheric force is that they are basic and universal and that they underlie all the formations of the material world. It is easy to perceive correlations between the forms produced in freeing the etheric forces from substances, and the shapes and forms of the plant world. A similarity between plant structures and the organic structures of animals, as in nerve systems, blood systems, tissue structures etc., is also not so difficult to perceive. However, it may not be so obvious that the mineral world comprises similar structures. Thus, at this point a few relevant pictures are interpolated to illustrate this feature, although these in no way arise from this investigation but are taken from established scientific work.

As a plant grows substances are assembled from a state of lower organisation to take up the organisation and structure of the plant. Much of this structure arises from the interweaving of the chemical and the light etheric forces as in the formation of petal-like and raying-out shapes. Fig. 78 shows typical structures that arise when a solid substance ‘grows’ out of the unorganised liquid. In these examples the structures are of an organic compound which is transparent, so that the pattern of behaviour can be readily seen. But such structures are universal and can, for example, be readily shown by suitable techniques to be the forms in which metals solidify. The difference between plants and substances of the mineral world is, however, that the latter do not have a ‘centre’ but come under planar conditions operative generally over the earth. Thus fig. 78(a) does not show a circular, petal-like formation, but a planar solidification front.

Along this front however, there is an incipient “planar-petal’ structure. In fig. 78(b) the ‘petal’ aspect is more pronounced. In fig. 78(c) the raying-out type of structure is controlling the shape of the solidification front to give rise to what is known as a dendritic (tree-like) formation. Because, in the solid state such structures are under the influence of he powerful life etheric, condensing, force they are much small and also more curtailed. For example, the light etheric force in particular is not able fully to manifest its delicate raying-out formations.

Experiments with Leaves

The simplest manifestations fo the action of the free etheric forces in Nature is the plant. Etheric forces shape the substance of the plant according to a response determined by the pattern associated with the seed. There are none of the complexities of behaviour that arise from the inner feelings and organs of the animal or from these, with the addition of thinking in man. It is possible to carry out a limited study of plant activity by examining the behaviour of leaves in the experimental sandwich. It is found that again the results depend on the characteristics of the electrical pulse.

With a rapid pulse it is possible to register a leaf, or a spray of leaves, as separated by a comparative void space fro the surrounding background life [fig. 79)a)]. But this is not always the case as often there is little, or no, separation of the leaves from the background. Pierrakos [ref. 213] has stated that leaves are pulsing at a rate of about 30 times per minute, but is has not yet been possible to examine this point to determine whether it in any way relates to the variation in the registration of the void around leaves observed in the present work.

The result obtained with a rapid pulse hardly registered the presence of the leaves; they are barely distinguishable from the surrounding void. With a more prolonged pulse areas of the leaves become luminous, bright discs gather at the tips of the serrations of the leaves and begin to become detached and freed into the surrounding atmospher [fig.  79(b)]. When the voltage is maintained for increasingly longer periouds more and more of these bright discs form and detach themselves from the leaves until the flow becomes exhausted and the leaf reverts to its original ‘dark’ state, [fig.79(c)].

On the etheric viewpoint the inter-weaving etheric forces in the environment surge rhythmically to and fro to bring the spiritual plan of the plant to manifestation in the world of substance. The plant grows as the etheric forces combine with the substantial matter to bring about the plant formation. The plan thus represents mater and etheric force in intimate union. We suggest that the explanation for the behaviour of leaves when the electrical/light ether pulse is applied to them is the same as the one we have proposed for liquids. Thus at any time the plant form is the extent to which is spiritual plan has become manifest as etheric force and substance, as set out in fig. 70. By applying an electrical impulse the light ether entering the leaves exerts its expansive de-materialising action to push the plant back towards the unmanifest states. That is, some of the etheric force and the substance which we have combined together to form the living organism of the plant are separated off. Michael Watson (author of the report on ‘Corona Discharge Photography’ included at the end of this book) has carried out similar experiments and he reports he was able to collect moisture which separated from the leaf, and that a leaf so treated then rapidly ‘died’ compared with one that had not been subjected to an electrical impulse. We suggest that the luminosity in the leaves and the bright discs separating from them are chemical ether which is being freed and detached from the leaves by the light etheric force.

There is a period during Spring, when presumably the chemical etheric force is particularly active in entering the plant to bring about rapid growth when, by multiple pulsing it is possible to generate a veritable flood of separating chemical etheric force [figs. 80(a) and (b)]. Because of the greater quantity, and hence more powerful action of the chemical etheric force in this case, it has been able to maintain its coherence for some distance from the leaves before being overcome by the sub-dividing, individualising, life etheric force which breaks it down into discrete discs.

Referring back to the type of result obtained with a single pule [fig. 79(b)], it would appear that it is the etheric sate of the leaf that registers on the photographic plate and not the physical leaf itself. Thus, for the conditions under which this type of result is obtained, warmth spheres form in the surrounding background material, and these are clearly visible through the leaves, obstructed only by the brightness generated from the separating chemical ether [fig. 81]. This is consistent with the statements of clairvoyants and objective mystics who claim that the ‘etheric’ world exists at a different level to the physical world, and that by appropriately raising their level of consciousness they are able to eliminate the physical body and perceive the etheric, even to observing the etheric functioning of the organs of the human body.

In the photograph of fig. 80 (b), showing etheric material emanating from a privet leaf, a narrow dark band can be seen around the leaf. This can always be registered with the appropriate experimental conditions and we suspect that it is the ‘etheric body’ of the leaf that clairvoyants and objective mystics describe, and is of similar character, although of course less evolved, to the inner, etheric, aura of man. It can be registered most clearly with privet leaves during winter [fig. 82], when there is minimal interchange with the environment and therefore minimal separation of etheric material on application of the electrical impulse.

Phenomena seemingly associated with damage and subsequent healing of leaves were registered in one sequence of experiments, using the multiple pulse technique, which it has not been found possible to repeat. Whether this is because of some unrecognised factor in the experimental technique, or because of a feature of plant life present on that particular occasion (17^th November 1965) we do not know. Taking account of the number and general reproducibility of experiments of this type the evidence would seem to point to the latter explanation. A tradescanthia leaf registered typical pattern of brightness shown in fig. 83(a). Often a leaf registers ‘striations’ in the ‘atmosphere’ in the region where it has been plucked from the stem. In this case a large section was torn from the tip of the leaf and ‘striations’ then registered at both ends [fig. 83(b)]. The other end was then also badly torn which increased the striations at this end [fig. 83(c)]; at the same time tearing the leaf seemed to ‘drain much of the central part of energy’. After twenty minutes the leaf was photographed again and the striations were more subdued and brightness/energy had recovered at the end of the leaf first torn [fig. 83(d)]. Twenty-four hours later there was specific brightness activity at the torn edges of the leaf, as though ‘healing forces’ had concentrated there, and the striations had gone [fig. 83(e)].

When multiple pulse exposures of leaves are made with colour film the results register in shades of blue and lilac [fig. 84(a), p. 208]. The hydrangea leaf shows a typical blue result; there is etheric brightness in the leaf and bright spots emanate from it, while a sequence of rings register around the leaf, possibly arising from the multiple pulsing. The narrow dark band around the leaf also registers as blue. Colour picture 84(b) is of clover leaves and this illustrates an extreme of emanation and colour, most colour results being intermediate between this and the predominantly blue picture of the hydrangea leaf. Here the etheric material emanating from the leaves has hardly become differentiated and it registers as a delicate lilac against the blue background. 

A possible indication of the manifestation of life ether and its ‘squaring off’ action has occasionally been registered with leaves and with other materials. This occurred with a prolonged application of the high voltage pulse which led to the freeing of considerable quantities of etheric force giving rise to marked luminosity. Within this luminosity linear bands or striations have been registered [figs. 85(a) and (b)].

Etheric Currents

It may be observed that in the colour pictures of leaves in fig. 84 there are indications of alignment or flow in the background material. A primary feature of the  etheric viewpoint is that the etheric forces surge rhythmically to and fro to bring about continual change and development. As a result etheric currents are set up, the behaviour of which follows various daily and seasonal patterns. Exposures have been made for a number of twenty-four hour periods at different times of the year. In all cases there appeared to be fluctuations in the type of result obtained. For example, in one survey carried out in early October, colour film was exposed in the sandwich every hour for a 24 hour period. This resulted in an almost uniform registration of blue except at 9, 10 and 11 a.m. and 3, 4 and 5 p.m. when there was also significant lilac colouration, suggesting tha1t at these times there was a different etheric composition of the atmosphere. There is a correlation here with the concept of the daily ‘breathing’ of the earth [fig. 32 p. 104]. The earth ‘breathes out’ chemical ether in the morning and ‘breathes’ it in, in the afternoon/evening. In the night and early morning the chemical ether is ‘within’ the earth, at mid-day it is outside. On the way out, and on the way back in, it is in the atmosphere at the periphery of the earth and these were the periods when there was a change registered by the lilac colouration in our experiments. 

In a survey carried out by multiple pulsing of privet leaves in January, a month when only limited emanation from the leaves was brought about by multiple pulsing, there was maximum emanation around mid-day and again in the early hours of the morning. In another similar survey in July a similar result was obtained, only on this occasion the emanation registered as a flow around the leaves, with a marked degree of ‘alignment’ [figs. 86 and 87]. Why this should be so we do not know.

An essential feature of these, and further experiments to be described, is that they convey the impression that ‘space’ is not emptiness or nothingness, but that it comprises a substance or an ‘ether’. The presence or otherwise of an ether in space has been the subject of considerable scientific research. However, scientific experiments designed to establish the existence of such an ether have never produced any evidence for its existence. Accordingly the problem has been shelved and forces that act through space, such as gravitation, and light and other electromagnetic radiations, are considered in terms of their known behaviour, without recourse to the problem of any medium by which they may be transmitted.

Objective mysticism states that underlying and permeating our Universe is a basic inert medium which, because it possesses no qualities of its own, is not detectable. However, it responds to, and takes up, the qualities imposed on it, so that the properties of gravity and of light etc., are inherent in these forces themselves and are imposed on, and in no way determined by, the ether. The ether then becomes ‘conditioned’ by
these forces, so that where they are in action and the ether takes on their properties, the ether becomes detectable. A particularly vivid impression of the presence of an ether in space is shown in fig. 88. Here the flow of a pulse of electricity gives the impression of having ‘rent asunder’ the ether. 

Experiments with Magnets

According to the etheric force viewpoint magnetism is a manifestation of the chemical etheric force. As such the ether in the region of a magnet should be modified by its presence. This would appear to be so in fig. 89, which shows the result obtained by the multiple pulse technique with a thin horse-shoe magnet in the sandwich. The application of the multiple pulses of electricity has brought about an emanation of light etheric force from the magnet, but beyond this there is a further ‘structure’ in the ether apparently related to the presence of the magnet.

Magnetic compass needles have been exposed on a number of occasions in the experimental sandwich. Sometimes but not always, and apparently depending on experimental factors we have not yet been able to define, ‘colour poles’ have been registered at the tips of the needle [fig. 90, p. 208].

When magnetic compass needles are placed in close proximity in the sandwich they apparently register an interaction in the intervening space. Thus the two compass needles aligned with their poles opposing in fig. 91 show an effect in the atmosphere around them and the poles at one end have become so dim as to be barely visible. In fig. 92 there are three magnetic compass needles and one de-magnetised needle and there is evidence for considerable interaction in the intervening and surrounding atmosphere, but no ‘colour poles’ are visible.

Etheric Interactions

Not only have interactions between compass needles been registered, but also interactions between different materials. This is again in accord with the view that the multitudinous phenomena of Nature are the manifestation of a few basic forces. Thus apparently dissimilar materials incorporate the same forces and can therefore interact with one another.

An example, firstly, of interaction between similar things is fig. 93 which shows a flow of etheric force from a freshly picked privet leaf to a dying leaf i.e., a leaf picked twenty-four hours previously and left on the laboratory bench. Wet filter paper can also show an etheric flow to a dying leaf, [fig. 94]. An interaction between more dissimilar things is shown for a leaf and a magnetic compass needle in fig. 95. Here the
etheric material emanates from the leaf to a greater extent on the side adjacent to the compass needle and appears to be causing an efflux from the needle on the side remote from the leaf. An interaction registered between a compass needle and a leaf in colour is shown in fig. 96, p. 210. There would appear to be a ‘flow’ in the intervening atmosphere registering as blue, while the colour pole adjacent to the leaf has been eliminated and that remote from the leaf heightened and partially ‘blown off’ the needle. Again these types of interactions are not always registered, the conditions bringing them about having yet to be defined.