Chapter twelve
Of the mystique of PazMysticism forms a vital ingredient in the lives of some people who cannot exist without the thrills and terrors of supernatural experiences — or quasi-supernatural delusions — and the feeling they are communing with forces beyond those of nature. There are other folk who see no need for flummery of this kind to explain the disasters and successes of life. They are in touch with aspects of nature quite satisfactory to them.
When millions of people devote themselves to the service of an abstract ideal, surely, some will say, mysticism reaches an apex, no matter what the ideal. Others will say that practical self-interest and the well-being of their fellow humans motivate their actions.
The theory for the moment could be ignored; we needed the results.
