Hitherto religion has provided the ordinary man with the truth in a form he was capable of comprehending. But owing to the wider spread and quickened evolution which he has undergone in recent centuries, he has become capable of comprehending more deeply that which was formerly kept apart from popular religion and reserved for mysticism, the next higher form. Consequently it is no longer enough to limit him to merely religious dogmas and practices; these must now be intermixed with mystical doctrines and practices also. It is a fact that war and crisis have multiplied by many times the number of mystical seekers. But the new group is still, relative to the total population, extremely small, insignificant and uninfluential. Yet the benefits of mysticism could be of untold help to countless others. The temporary forgetfulness from current turmoils and personal burdens which mental quietism offers its votaries should prove attractive to quite a number of persons in these times. For the need of personal, firsthand experience of the soul is greater today than ever before. Therefore the importance of this work is unquestionable.
-- Notebooks Category 11: The Negatives > Chapter 3 : Their Presence in The World > # 380
