The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-12-14
MAETERLINCK AS
SPIRITUAL POET
DIR. Griggs Gives Fourth
Lecture of Series at
Elks' Club.
EXPLAINS MYSTICISM

stract in context, proved equally as
interesting lecture topic as Maeter-
inck in his other capacities, preyi-
ously developed by DR.. E. H. Griggs
in his series of lectures at the Elks'
club. The fifth and final lecture in DR..
Grigg's series will be on Maeterlinck
after the war, discussing The Wreck
of the Storm, The Burgomaster OF
Stilemonde and the Betrothaf!--
"Neeterlinck tells u.s." said DR..
Griggs, "that there are various types
of mysticism, and the worst, is that
created by lazy intellects which OBJ
scure truth with abstract rhetoric, and
which take the esoteric for the real
in life. Wonder. is the last word of
religion and the first word of science
it is the very foundation Of
mysticism"
Greed of Mystical Philosophy.
"All mystical philosophy" said DR..
Griggs, "believes in some other road
to truth beside the sense and the con-
scious reach Wordsworth and his
followers believed in Wisdom and Fate
as the road outside; the early Ameri-
can mysticists believed in intuition,
which would go beyond the physical
mind. Modern mysticists, including
maeterlinck believe most in sub
liminal consciousness, which is a cos
mic or universal mind, related by some
unknown means to the physical con-
seriousness. This relation is very
slender, and it is the purpose of the
modern world to make it stronger
and more realo
"Maeterlinck in his mysticism takes
up first the study of the real mind, and
discusses it biologically, and psycholo-
gically. Then he interprets through
his characters, the truth of mystic
morality. In 1907 Maeterlinck pub
lished "Our Eternity" which takes up
the question of what follows death.
This is significant of the change in
Maeterlinck himself, morally and spir-
itually. He contends, with beautiful
rhetoric, that death itself is not pain
full, but is the greatest fact in human
life.
Three Solutions of Eternity.
"Maeterlinck offers three possibili-
ties for the question of Immortality
First, a survival with our present con-
seriousness. This, he says, would be
like dragging our chains through
eternity, because the ego depends on
memory, the most fleeting of facul-
ties. Second, a survival without our
present consciousness. This would
constitute the spiritual belief which
have wide acceptance today. Maeter-
linck accepts the evidences of his
spiritualist friends, but says that it is
too trivial to be reckoned with. He
says, Nothing compels man to speak
of his God, but if he does, his explana-
ton must be greater than the silence
(which it breaks. Third, is the posi-
bility of cosmic, or universal com
seriousness. In this belief, Maeter-
lnck's observations are of less i'm
portance than his Interpretation. The
Unknown Guest deals with the mys-
terious-with the facts on the border
land of our psychology.
"Only minds trained in biological
and psychological science can capably
probe into these phenomena of mind.
Unfortunately, however, it is the UNI
trained mind which concerns itself
most with these borderland questions.
In the theory of future fortelling, that
al the forces of the future are pres
emit, just as the forces of the past,
there is this fallacy; the past, which
exists now in effect, had it's tendencies
and causes previously, while the fut-
ure exists only in tendency. There
fore all causes are subject to change
by other tendencies, and the effect
can not be ascertained.
Subliminal Consciousness.
"The subliminal consciousness, ac-
cording to Maeterlinck, connects the
individual mind with the mind exist
ing everywhere in the universe, The
human being developed his physical
mind possibly at the expense of this
instructive consciousness which is
more acute in lower forms of life.
Have we lost relation to the great
reservoir of mind? 1t is the greatest
task Of the modern world to make
connection between the individual and
the cosmic mind.
"Maeterlinck has no separate phil
osophy of society, he accepts democ-
racy as the complete reach of suniver-
sal suffrage. Some of his most pro-
nounced beliefs are advanced ideas on
the freedom of women. He believes
chat freedom Of women lies in insub-
ordination.
His dramatic form rejects the sta
tic permanently and resolves to the
active theater. His Joyzelle is a pure
picturewith background of Mysticism
and all of his later dramas have lost
the beauty of his static dramas,
although the philosophy is becoming
broader"
DR.. Griggs read the major part of
Mary Magdalene, Maeterlincks great
est spiritual drama. He said that it
acked the grip of the simple Gospel
narrative, but that in it the author
rises high in poetical inspiration,
making him primarily the poet of the
spirit
SURPRISE MRS. PIEHL.