I.--Analysis of the idea of the soul in the Australian societies 240 II.--Genesis of this idea--The doctrine of reincarnation according to Spencer and Gillen: it implies that the soul is a part of the totemic principle--Examination of the facts collected by Strehlow; they confirm the totemic nature of the soul 246 III.--Generality of the doctrine of reincarnation--Diverse facts in support of the proposed genesis 256 IV.--Antithesis of the soul and the body: what there is objective in this--Relations of the individual soul with the collective soul--The idea of the soul is not chronologically after that of mana 262 V.--Hypothesis to explain the belief in its survival 267 VI.--The idea of a soul and the idea of a person; impersonal elements in the personality 269 CHAPTER IX THE IDEA OF SPIRITS AND GODS I.--Difference between a soul and a spirit--The souls of the mythical ancestors are spirits, having determined functions-- Relations between the ancestral spirit, the individual soul and the individual totem--Explanation of this latter--Its sociological significance 273 II.--Spirits and magic 281 III.--The civilizing heroes 283 IV.--The great gods--Their origin--Their relations with the totemic system--Their tribal and international character 285 V.--Unity of the totemic system 295 BOOK III THE PRINCIPAL RITUAL ATTITUDES CHAPTER I THE NEGATIVE CULT AND ITS FUNCTIONS THE ASCETIC RITES I.--The system of interdictions--Magic and religious interdictions--Interdictions between sacred things of different sorts--Interdictions between sacred and profane--These latter are the basis of the negative cult--Leading types of these interdictions; their reduction to two essential types 299 II.--The observance of interdictions modifies the religious state of individuals--Cases where this efficacy is especially apparent: ascetic practices--The religious efficacy of sorrow-- Social function of asceticism 309 III.--Explanation of the system of interdictions: antagonism of the sacred and the profane, contagiousness of the sacred 317 IV.--Causes of this contagiousness--It cannot be explained by the laws of the association of ideas--It is because religious forces are outside of their subjects--Logical interest in this property of religious forces 321 CHAPTER II THE POSITIVE CULT I.--_The Elements of Sacrifice_