The history of consciousness in the human family is identical with the history of man's conquest over matter and physical forces. And this is clearly indicated in the incidentals contingent upon the toilsome rise of the _genus homo_ from the earliest caveman whose status denoted a comparatively negligible transcendence of material forces, to the present-day man who has gained a markedly notable conquest over these forces. Always consciousness seeks the means of adequately expressing itself in the sensible world. And to this end it engenders faculties, organs and processes in the bodily mechanism, and, in matter, devises instruments of application whereupon and wherewith it may test, analyze, combine and recombine the forces and materials it finds. The unlimited range of expressions lying open to the consciousness makes it necessary continually to devise higher and higher grades of appliances to meet its needs as it expands. It will not be gainsaid that the telescope has served actually to lay bare to the consciousness an immeasurable realm of knowledge nor that the microscope, turning its attention in an opposite direction, marvelously has enlarged and enrichened our knowledge of the world about us. And similar declaration may be made anent almost every invention, discovery and conquest which man has made over natural phenomena. Thus, by externally applying mechanical implements to the subject of his consciousness, man has extended actually his consciousness, his sphere of knowledge; has greatly enhanced its quality, and, in the process, has urged the intellect to endeavors that have wrought its present unequaled mastery of things. Nor have the spiritual aspects of our advance along these lines been the least notable. For these have enjoyed the essence of all that has been gained in the process and have, therefore, kept pace with the onward movement of the intellectual consciousness. But heretofore no advance has been made as a result of methodic or reflexive determinations. That is, men did not set out from the beginning, equipped with foreknowledge of what their efforts would bring, to develop the present quality of human consciousness. They simply worked on, their attention being absorbed by the problems that lay nearest and demanded earliest consideration. So the advance has come as a resultant of man's close application to his ever-present needs--shelter, clothing, food, protection and other preservative measures--and it has come naturally and inevitably and without prepense. Nevertheless, if man, knowing what to expect from the syncretization of matter and mind, after this fashion, should set out deliberately to accelerate the intensification, expansion and growth of his consciousness, there is no doubt but that the consequence would be most far-reaching and satisfactory.