"We are now repeating the earlier part of their history; we are increasing in wealth and in prosperity, and we are gradually tending towards the world-wide dominion which was held by Atlantis Many among us are now beginning to obtain glimpses, at any rate, of these higher powers, and assuredly the knowledge of them and the possession of them will steadily spread among us. So we are repeating the history of Atlantis very closely, and the question for us is whether having thus reproduced the earlier part of it we are about to follow its example in the latter part — ^whether after repeating the glory and the expansion of the world wide empire, we are going also to repeat the disgrace and the downfall Whether that will happen to the present civilization of the world or not depends very largely upon the men of today, the men who are here at the beginning of the new order of things"