urch； and a cause of dissension and superstition； yet it was in the inevitable line of human evolution； and had a psychological basis which I must now endeavor to explain。
＇1＇ It is important to note； however； that this same democratic tendency was very marked in Mithraism。 〃Il est certain；〃 says Cumont； 〃qu'il a fait ses premieres conquetes dans les classes inferieures de la societe et c'est l'a un fait considerable； le mithracisme est reste longtemps la religion des humbles。〃 Mysteres de Mithra； p。 68。
＇2＇ See Glover's Conflict of Religions in the early Roman Empire； ch。 viii。
＇3＇ See Toutain； Cultes paiens； vol。 ii； conclusion。
XIV。 THE MEANING OF IT ALL
The general drift and meaning of the present book must now； I think； from many hints scattered in the course of it； be growing clear。 But it will be well perhaps in this chapter； at the risk of some repetition； to bring the whole argument together。 And the argument is that since the dawn of humanity on the earthmany hundreds of thousands or perhaps a million years agothere has been a slow psychologic evolution； a gradual development or refinement of Consciousness； which at a certain stage has spontaneously given birth in the human race to the phenomena of religious belief and religious ritualthese phenomena （whether in the race at large or in any branch of it） always following； step by step； a certain order depending on the degrees of psychologic evolution concerned； and that it is this general fact which accounts for the strange similarities of belief and ritual which have been observed all over the world and in places far remote from each other； and which have been briefly noted in the preceding chapters。
And the main stages of this psychologic evolutionthose at any rate with which we are here concernedare Three： the stage of Simple Consciousness； the stage of Self… consciousness； and a third Stage which for want of a better word we may term the stage of Universal Consciousness。 Of course these three stages may at some future time be analyzed into lesser degrees； with useful result but at present I only desire to draw attention to them in the rough； so to speak； to show that it is from them and from their passage one into another that there has flowed by a perfectly natural logic and concatenation the strange panorama of humanity's religious evolutionits superstitions and magic and sacrifices and dancings and ritual generally； and later its incantations and prophecies； and services of speech and verse； and paintings and forms of art and figures of the gods。 A wonderful Panorama indeed； or poem of the Centuries； or； if you like； World…symphony with three great leading motives！
And first we have the stage of Simple Consciousness。 For hundreds of centuries （we cannot doubt） Man possessed a degree of consciousness not radically different from that of the higher Animals； though probably more quick and varied。 He saw； he heard； he felt； he noted。 He acted or reacted； quickly or slowly； in response to these impressions。 But the consciousness of himSELF； as a being separate from his impressions； as separate from his surroundings； had not yet arisen or taken hold on him。 He was an instinctive part； of Nature。 And in this respect he was very near to the Animals。 Self…consciousness in the animals； in a germinal form is there； no doubt； but EMBEDDED； so to speak； in the general world consciousness。 It is on this account that the animals have such a marvellously acute perception and instinct； being embedded in Nature。 And primitive Man had the same。 Also we must； as I have said before； allow that man in that stage must have had the same sort of grace and perfection of form and movement as we admire in the （wild） animals now。 It would be quite unreasonable to suppose that he； the crown in the same sense of creation； was from the beginning a lame and ill…made abortion。 For a long period the tribes of men； like the tribes of the higher animals； must have been （on the whole； and allowing for occasional privations and sufferings and conflicts） well adapted to their surroundings and harmonious with the earth and with each other。 There must have been a period resembling a Golden Agesome condition at any rate which； compared with subsequent miseries； merited the epithet 'golden。'
It was during this period apparently that the system of Totems arose。 The tribes felt their relationship to their winged and fourfooted mates （including also other objects of nature） so deeply and intensely that they adopted the latter as their emblems。 The pre…civilization Man fairly worshipped； the animals and was proud to be called after them。 Of course we moderns find this strange。 We； whose conceptions of these beautiful creatures are mostly derived from a broken…down cab…horse； or a melancholy milk…rummaged cow in a sooty field； or a diseased and despondent lion or eagle at the Zoo； have never even seen or loved them and have only wondered with our true commercial instinct what profit we could extract from them。 But they； the primitives； loved and admired the animals； they domesticated many of them by the force of a natural friendship；＇1＇ and accorded them a kind of divinity。 This was the age of tribal solidarity and of a latent sense of solidarity with Nature。 And the point of it all is （with regard to the subject we have in hand） that this was also the age from which by a natural evolution the sense of Religion came to mankind。 If Religion in man is the sense of ties binding his inner self to the powers of the universe around him； then it is evident I think that primitive man as I have described him possessed the REALITY of this sense though so far buried and subconscious that he was hardly aware of it。 It was only later； and with the coming of the Second Stage； that this sense began to rise distinctly into consciousness。
＇1＇ See ch。 iv。 Tylor in his Primitive Culture （vol。 i； p。 460； edn。 1903） says： 〃The sense of an absolute psychical distinction between man and beast； so prevalent in the civilized world； is hardly to be found among the lower races。〃
Let us pass then to the Second Stage。 There is a moment in the evolution of a childsomewhere perhaps about the age of three＇1＇when the simple almost animal…like consciousness of the babe is troubled by a new elementSELF…consciousness。 The change is so marked； so definite； that （in the depth of the infant's eyes） you can almost SEE it take place。 So in the evolution of the human race there has been a periodalso marked and definite； though extending intermittent over a vast interval of timewhen on men in general there dawned the consciousness of THEMSELVES； of their own thoughts and actions。 The old simple acceptance of sensations and experiences gave place to REFLECTION。 The question arose： 〃How do these sensations and experiences affect ME？ What can _I_ do to modify them； to encourage the pleasurable； to avoid or inhibit the painful； and so on？〃 From that moment a new motive was added to life。 The mind revolved round a new centre。 It began to spin like a little eddy round its own axis。 It studied ITSELF first and became deeply concerned about its own pleasures and pains； losing touch the while with the larger life which once dominated itthe life of Nature； the life of the Tribe。 The old unity of the spirit； the old solidarity； were broken up。
＇1＇ See Bucke's Cosmic Consciousness （Philadelphia； 1901）； pp。 1 and 39； also W。 McDougall's Social Psychology （1908）； p。 146 where the same age is tentatively suggested。
I have touched on this subject before； but it is so important that the reader must excuse repetition。 There came an inevitable severance； an inevitable period of strife。 The magic mirror of the soul； reflecting nature as heretofore in calm and simple grace； was suddenly cracked across。 The new self…conscious man （not all at once but gradually） became alienated from his tribe。 He lapsed into strife with his fellows。 Ambition； vanity； greed； the love of domination； the desire for property and possessions； set in。 The influences of fellowship and solidarity grew feebler。 He became alienated from his great Mother。 His instincts were less and less sureand that in proportion as brain… activity and self…regarding calculation took their place。 Love and mutual help were less compelling in proportion as the demands of self…interest grew louder and more insistent。 Ultimately the crisis came。 Cain murdered his brother and became an outcast。 The Garden of Eden and the Golden Age closed their gates behind him。 He entered upon a period of sufferinga period of labor and toil and sorrow such as he had never before known； and such as the animals certainly have never known。 And in that distressful state； in that doleful valley of his long pilgrimage； he still remains to…day。
Thus has the canker of self…consciousness done its work。 It would be foolish and useless to rail against the process； or to blame any one for it。 It had to be。 Through this dismal vale of self…seeking mankind had to passif only in order at last to find the True Self which was （and still remains） its goal。 The pilgrimage will not last for ever。 Indeed there are signs that the recent Great War and the following Events mark the lowest point of descent and the beginning of the human soul's return to sanity and ascent towards the heavenly Kingdom。 No doubt Man will arrive again SOME day at the grace； composure and leisurely beauty of life which the animals realized long ago； though he seems a precious long time about it； and when all this nightmare of Greed and Vanity and Self…conceit and Cruelty and Lust of oppression and domination； which marks the present period； is pastand it WILL passthen Humanity will come again to its Golden Age and to that Paradise of redemption and peace which has for so long been prophesied。
But we are dealing with the origins of Religion； and what I want the reader to see is that it was just this breaking up of the old psychologic unity and continuity of man with his surroundings which led to the whole panorama of the rituals and creeds。 Man； centering round himself； necessarily became an exile from the great Whole。 He committed the sin （if it was a sin） of Separation。 Anyhow Nemesis was swift。 The sense of loneliness and the sense of guilt came