Nature Mysticism

ANAXIMENES AND THE AIRHitherto our attention has been almost exclusively fixed upon the mys-tical influences of water in motion or at rest. And even though we wentno farther afield, a fair presentment has been gained ofwhat a modern nature-mystic might advance in explanation and defence of his characteristic viewsand modes of experience. We now turn to consider other ranges of phys-ical phenomena, which, though of equal dignity and significance, will notmeet with equal fullness of treatment-otherwise the limits proposed for thisstudy would be seriously exceeded.We have seen how and why Thales deemed water to be the Welt-stoff. Hisimmediate successors, while adhering to his principles and aims, were notcontent with his choice. They successively sought for something less mate-rial. One of them, Anaximenes, was attracted by the qualities and functionsof the atmosphere, and his speculations will serve as an introduction to themysticism of winds and storms and clouds. Only a single statement of his ispreserved in its original form; but fortunately it is full of significance. "Asour soul" (said the sage), "which is air, holds us together, so wind and air3 JOHN EDWARD MERCERencompass the whole world." This, interpreted in the light of ancient com-ments, shows that Anaximenes compared the breath of life to the air, andregarded the two as essentially related-indeed as identical. For the breath,he thought, holds together both animal and human life; and so the air holdstogether the whole world in a complex unity. He reached the wider doc-trine by observing that the air is, to all appearance, infinitely extended, andthat earth, water, and fire seem to be but islands in an ocean which spreadsaround them on all sides, penetrating their inmost pores, and bathing theirsmallest atoms. It was on such facts and appearances that he based his maindoctrine. If we think of the modern theory of the luminiferous ether, weshall not be far from his view-point. But the simpler and more obvious qual-ities of the air would of course not be without their influence-its mobilityand incessant motion; its immateriality; its inexhaustibility; its seeming eter-nity. It is, therefore, not astonishing that with his attention thus focussed ona group of truly wonderful phenomena, the old nature-philosopher shouldhave selected air as his primary substance-as the universal vehicle of vital andpsychic force.It is of especial interest to the nature-mystic to find that Anaximenes was