This first chapter in the Edinburgh Lectures is dedicated to defining the differences between matter and consciousness. Without this understanding, it is impossible to see ourselves in terms of everything going on around us, material or living.

Troward makes this distinction by looking at different levels of intelligence. He says, “The solution of the problem will never be found by comparing Life with what we call deadness…, but the true key is to be found by comparing one degree of livingness with another.”

He goes on to define what that hierarchy looks like. Starting at the bottom of the hierarchy, we have inanimate objects like tables, chairs, etc. It is blatantly clear that these objects have roughly 0 intelligence. One step higher may be robots, which are able to make decisions based on sets of already defined parameters, through the use of programming. A Keurig is able to brew a cup of coffee, but it is unable to drive a car. Another step higher we find microorganisms that function for a specific purpose. Another step higher we find plants and nature, which arguably has some degree of true intelligence. Moving up again we find animals, which are able to make decisions based on survival instincts and genetic predisposition. And then at the very top of this pyramid we find ourselves, fully-sentient beings capable of creating art and marvels of engineering. What makes us different than every other level of consciousness is the degree of our “livingness”.

Troward explains this by saying, “We see, then, that the livingness of life consists of intelligence—in other words of Thought; and we may therefore say that the distinctive quality of the spirit is Thought, and, as an opposite to this, we may say that the distinctive quality of matter is form.”

In simpler terms, this means that matter the form which each level of consciousness embodies. As intelligence increases, so must the capability of the form. As humans, our ability to process information is determined by IQ, but this itself is only in reference to other humans, not animals, plants, or inanimate objects. It is likely impossible to test the IQ of a dog because the level of intelligence with which we operate is entirely different. Our “form” allows us to embody a higher mode of consciousness. In religious terms, this is the spirit of God within each of us. This alone is what separates humans from every other “form” in existence.

“Form implies extension in space and also limitation within certain boundaries,” he goes on to say. We know this to be a fundamental reality of life itself: we live, and then we die. And in this, we have no material escape. Our Form limits our ability to act out our ideas, and guides every decision which we do make.

As complicated as this all may sound, perhaps it easier to understand the relationship between life and spirit from a religious perspective. No matter what your faith may be, it is a near universal fact of every religion that the spirit within us at one point will leave our bodies. This Form which we inhabit is not a permanent residency. Rather, it is what defines what our limited existence looks like from a material perspective.

Another unifying aspect of all religions is that there is a hope for something beyond these limitations. From a purely philosophical perspective, if there is a fence within which our livelihood exists, then there must also be a form of existence outside of that limitation. This is where our descriptions of God arise. And the fact that we each contain that spirit, means that we are each a part of the larger state of consciousness outside of time and space.

If this makes no sense to you, then read it over again. Say it out loud. Write it down somewhere. Again, every living person contains a spirit which transcends time and space, going straight up to our definition of who God is. Troward does a far better job of explaining this from a purely philosophical perspective, but there is clearly a heavily religious influence in this way of thinking.

Our founding documents contain fragments of these ideas: “…that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights”, “secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity”, etc.

Our culture, although not apparently obvious, has a deep understanding of life outside of what we know. We think about the past, present, and the future in a way that no other living creatures can. Our ability to think critically and establish our own unique way of life is truly remarkable.

Our consciousness, our Spirit, and our Form are gifts entirely unique to humanity alone. This fact should unify, not divide.

Hopefully you’ve learned a thing or two about the differences between spirit and matter. If not, my apologies for not being more clear. These ideas are cosmic, or universal to each person’s own experiences. But it is my hope that in our uniqueness we can find commonality in which we can unify ourselves.

If you would like to read the entire first chapter, which is only a couple pages long, click the link below.