964. In the "Fall" we can see this materialistic mentality symbolised in the "serpent" that "seduces" Eve. Through this "seduction" Eve lost her mental well-being and became a different being. She was filled with the devil's wishes and desires and "seduced" Adam in the same way that she was "seduced" by the "serpent". He also ate with great relish the "forbidden" fruit. What was this "forbidden" fruit other than the animal mentality, that is to say gaining the satisfaction of one's own desires by using cunning and the art of seduction to bring misfortune on others? Is it not the height of animal cunning or mental capability to entice other beings into pain, misfortune and an almost total loss of liberty in order to benefit oneself, under the pretence of helping them towards a bright and sunny existence? And what was the first human couple's discovery of their "nakedness" other than the discovery that they had been deceived and that they in reality found themselves in great misfortune? Whereas previously they were able to walk freely in the beautiful garden in the company of the Godhead and were able to eat of all its wonderful fruits, with the exception of the very fruits from the one tree that was the "tree of knowledge", they now found themselves outside the beautiful sphere of the garden in a bleak, barren desert with the sound of God's voice still vibrating in their ears announcing the effects of the "Fall" or their new existence. According to God's decree, this new existence would be such that the "serpent" would be accursed more than any wild beast of the field, and it would go on its belly and eat dust all the days of its life. And there would be enmity between its seed and the seed of the woman. But the seed of the woman would eventually win and bruise the head of the "serpent", but would have its own heel bruised by the "serpent's" seed.
      With respect to Adam and Eve, which, in reality, means terrestrial human beings, their troubles would be greatly multiplied. The woman should give birth to her children in pain and be ruled by the man. The ground would be cursed, and in sorrow they would eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge all the days of their life. And the ground would bring forth thorns and thistles. And Adam and Eve would eat the herbs of the field. By the sweat of their brow they should eat their bread until they returned to the ground, for they were dust and to dust they should return. As you can see, a rather depressingly bleak and desolate view of the future.