THESCHEME OFEVOLUTION 185
intelligence of the evolving being, the more it is dependent
upon outside help.
At the Beginning, then, the highest Beings—those who
are the farthest evolved—work upon those who have the
greatest degree of unconsciousness. Later, they turn them
over to some of the less evolved entities, who are then able
to carry the work a little further. At last self-consciousness is
awakened. The evolving life has become Man.
From the point where the self-conscious individual Ego
has come into being he must go on and expand his
consciousness without outside help. Experience and thought
are then to take the place of outside teachers and the glory,
power and splendor he may attain are limitless.
The period of time devoted to the attainment of self-
consciousness and to the building of the vehicles through
which the spirit in man manifests, is called “Involution.”
The subsequent period of existence, during which the
individual human being develops self-consciousness into
divine omniscience, is called “Evolution.”
The Force within the evolving being which makes
evolution what it is and not a mere unfoldment of latent
germinal possibilities; which makes the evolution of each
individual differ from that of every other; which provides
the element of originality and gives scope to the creative
ability which the evolving being is to cultivate that he may
become a God—that Force is called “Genius,” and, as
previously explained, its manifestation is “Epigenesis.”
Many of the advanced philosophies of modern times
recognize involution and evolution. Science recognizes only
the latter, because it (Science) deals only with the Form side
of manifestation. Involution belongs to the Life side; but the
most advanced scientists regard Epigenesis as a