898. It is perfectly natural that these phenomena also cause confusion in human beings' perceptions of themselves, or in the true value of their own I to the surroundings. A being for which a terrestrial life consists of one long enjoyment of all the good things in life, such as good health, a strong social and economic position, honour, admiration and fame, will have particular difficulty in arriving at the true perception of itself. Considering all its material advantages, particularly at a primitive stage, it will naturally believe itself to be particularly favoured by the Godhead – that is, if it believes in a godhead at all. And if it does not believe in a godhead, it will believe even more in itself and think that it is far, far above the poor beggar it might meet in the street, or if it has people who work under it, it will be difficult for it to understand that these beings may be spiritually at a far higher stage than itself. Behind its own physical glamour, such as its titles, decorations and rank, there is often a very primitive, brutal, inhuman and inconsiderate soul. Of course, this does not mean that behind an impoverished exterior there cannot also be hidden a primitive soul, just as behind great outward material splendour there can also sometimes be revealed a highly-evolved soul that loves mankind. But this being the case, the fact emerges that neither wealth nor poverty, neither good health nor illness, can be an expression of favours or punishments from Providence. If beings have come about by being conceived in their mother's womb and have therefore not lived before, how could they have made themselves worthy of the Godhead's favours, and how could they have committed offences and become objects of the Godhead's wrath and punishment? In truth, at this point ecclesiastical Christianity is forced to give up and make use of the formula: "the ways of the Lord are past understanding".