495. But the light from that "heavenly space" is still preserved. It was the particles of light which affected our senses. In actual fact it is only the light which is sensed. Matter is simply concentrated "light". But as "light" is the same as what we call "colour", the colour of every substance is the same as the transmission of its particularly distinct "heavenly light". Therefore we observe that matter, too, has colour. As it presents itself in seven basic types, so there are consequently seven basic types of light. As these basic types are all really the same thing, but seen from different "distances" from the level of the I, it is here once again the principle of perspective which accounts for their varied effects on the set of senses. If that thing appears to the senses in seven different aspects, this means that we see it in seven different cosmic distances in relation to the level of the I. That which is farthest away from the level of the I has, of course, the least effect on that I's set of senses, while that which is nearest has the greatest effect on it. The same effect is apparent if we stand on a long straight road. That part of the road nearest our position will have the strongest effect on our set of senses, while those effects will diminish greatly as the road stretches out to the periphery of the horizon. The road seems broadest where we stand and narrowest at the outer edge of the horizon. Its effect on the physical senses of the observer is here clearly shown to be on a progressive scale.
      It is understood by any normally educated person that the road is just as wide at the periphery of the horizon as it is at its centre, and that the diminishing towards the horizon is an illusion based on the principle of perspective. In reality this knowledge is a kind of first form of "cosmic knowledge". That same person, however, does not know that all forms of sensing are based on the same principle and therefore also the sensing of light. That light which is farthest away on our cosmic horizon has the weakest effect on our senses and therefore appears less bright than the light which is nearest; hence the latter light seems to be much stronger than the former. Through physical perception this is shown by the scale of colours. The light which is furthest from us on that scale from a cosmic point of view, creates a reaction in our senses which we express as a "red colour". A little nearer and the light correspondingly affects our senses a little stronger and we call that reaction the colour "orange". Then, on the same scale come the light-reactions we call "yellow", "green", "blue", "indigo" and "violet".
      There are still a further two colours, "black" and "white", but cosmically seen "black" is identical with all the colours seen from a certain perspective. The same applies to the colour "white". Neither "black" nor "white" can exist without being a combination of all the other colours together. And so the colours "black" and "white" thus in reality constitute the same thing. The fact that they nonetheless appear as two diametrically opposed colours is due, once again, to the principle of perspective, as we shall see in the following passages.