Chapter 1

           AllmylifeIhavehadanawarenessofothertimesandplaces.Ihavebeenawareofotherpersonsinme.—Oh,andtrustme,sohaveyou,myreaderthatistobe.Readbackintoyourchildhood,andthissenseofawarenessIspeakofwillberememberedasanexperienceofyourchildhood.Youwerethennotfixed,notcrystallized.Youwereplastic,asoulinflux,aconsciousnessandanidentityintheprocessofforming—ay,offormingandforgetting.

           Youhaveforgottenmuch,myreader,andyet,asyoureadtheselines,yourememberdimlythehazyvistasofothertimesandplacesintowhichyourchildeyespeered.Theyseemdreamstoyouto-day.Yet,iftheyweredreams,dreamedthen,whencethesubstanceofthem?Ourdreamsaregrotesquelycompoundedofthethingsweknow.Thestuffofoursheerestdreamsisthestuffofourexperience.Asachild,aweechild,youdreamedyoufellgreatheights;youdreamedyouflewthroughtheairasthingsoftheairfly;youwerevexedbycrawlingspidersandmany-leggedcreaturesoftheslime;youheardothervoices,sawotherfacesnightmarishlyfamiliar,andgazeduponsunrisesandsunsetsotherthanyouknownow,lookingback,youeverlookedupon.

           Verywell.Thesechildglimpsesareofother-worldness,ofother-lifeness,ofthingsthatyouhadneverseeninthisparticularworldofyourparticularlife.