One of the greatest Greek thinkers well puts it: “Imbeciles, fools, and the mad alone have no understanding of fear. True education, true reason, and true courage consist in the knowledge of what to fear and what not to fear.” Mysticism, occultism, and credulity act like virulent germs, fatal to man. “Metaphysical” cults anesthetize the intellect, put judgment into lethargic sleep from which there is no awaking. Mysticism kills the most precious essence of man’s life,--the critical sense of human personality. Occultism, mysticism, _et id genus omne_ declare that “fear is a false belief, an error of the mortal mind.” Mystics claim the “unreality” of the material fear instinct of which they are in “reality” in “mortal” terror. This zealous negation of fear is its strongest affirmation. As a matter of fact, fear is one of the most stern realities of life. The neurotic in denying disease, evil, and fear is like the proverbial ostrich which on perceiving danger hides its head in the sand. _The “Love” of mysticism is the Fear of death._ CHAPTER X THE SUBCONSCIOUS[5] Man’s nerve cell organization may be classified into two main systems: (I) The inferior, the reflex, the instinctive, the automatic centers. (II) The superior, the controlling, selective, and inhibitory brain-centers of the cortex. The double systems of nerve-centers have correspondingly a double mental activity, or double-consciousness as it is sometimes called, the inferior, the organic, the instinctive, the automatic, the reflex consciousness, or briefly termed the _subconsciousness_, consciousness below the threshold of self-consciousness; and the superior, the choosing, the willing, the critical, the _will-consciousness_. This controlling will-consciousness may also be characterized as the guardian-consciousness of the individual. From an evolutionary standpoint, we can well realize the biological function or importance of this guardian-consciousness. The external world bombards the living organism with innumerable stimuli. From all sides thousands of impressions come crowding upon the senses of the individual. Each neuron system with its appropriate receptors has its corresponding system of reactions which, if not modified or counteracted, may end in some harmful or fatal result. It is not of advantage to an individual of a complex organization to respond with reaction to all impressions coming from the external environment. Hence, that organism will succeed best in the struggle for existence that possesses some selective, critical, inhibitory “choice and will” centers. The more organized and the more sensitive and delicate those centers are, the better will the organism succeed in its life existence.