Mental and moral therapeutics

Preface

This volume is a revised and enlarged edition of "Ten Lessons in Suggestive Therapeutics," published ten years ago when the writer was the president of the Parsons, Kansas, School of Suggestion. The former edition was sold at $5.00 per copy with a guarantee, and only one copy was ever returned. The matter in that book has all been retained in this with a few slight changes. Its author has waded through thousands of pages of psychic lore since its publication and is unable to find much that is new to add to the present volume. It is not intended to be exhaustive, but suggestive. It is the multum in parvo in mental healing. It is written for the average man and is simple, sane, sensible and yet scientific. It does not pose as a "literary gem."

The chapters, "The Sum of Mental Healing," "How To Live One Hundred Years" and "Psychology In Religion, ' ' are the new additions. I am indebted to the following writers for much of the matter contained herein: Thomas J. Hudson, Dr. George C. Pitzer, Dr. H. L. Parkyn, Dr. William A. Hammond, Charles Pool Cleaves, Dr. Sheerin, Prof. Mower, Prof. Bernheim, Dr. John W. Tinder and others. It covers the subjects treated and is the cream of all the literature on psychic treatment and cognate subjects. Any one, by a little patience and practice, can become proficient in its application. A thorough mastication, digestion and appropriation of its principles will keep the well body well, heal the sick body if it be a curable one, and heal and save the sin-sick soul.

THE AUTHOR.

December 1, 1909.

Chapter I

"As the Creator of the universe has endowed man with reason and assigned him a noble and intelligent rank in the scale of intellect and moral being — and as he has commanded him to use this faculty — so I may with justice remark, that he who cannot reason is a fool; he who dare not reason, is a coward; he who will not reason, is a bigot; but he who can and dare reason, is a man. (Dods.) It is by no means an enviable task to step aside from the long beaten path of science into the unexplored and trackless regions of solitude and silence. By so doing and daring to think for myself I am well aware that I assume no very enviable position as to regards popularity. Independent thought and fearless expression have ever drawn forth the scoffs and sneers of that portion of our race who have adopted, without investigation, the scientific opinions of others. I refer to those only who have received their ideas from others by inheritance, as they did their real estate. For the one they never labored, and for the other they never thought. Such persons, though professing to be learned, and perchance even claiming to be the guardians of science, are nevertheless its greatest enemies; and by exerting their influence in favor of old opinions, however absurb, and against any innovations, however true, useful, or grand, are checking the mighty march of mind. Science commenced its career at the breaking morn of creation, with but few passengers on board, and has continued its course with increasing speed and growing glory down to the present moment.

It now travels with the brilliancy and rapidity of the lightning's blaze, and even compels the very lightning to speak in a familiar voice to man. The chariot of science is destined to continue its majestic course, in duration coeval with our globe. Still more, it is destined to pass the boundaries of the mouldering tomb — to snatch immortality from the iron grasp of death and roll on in living grandeur through the eternal world gathering new accessions of intellectual beauty and unending delight. If no human being had dared to hazard the expression of an original thought, then nothing in the realms of science would have been disclosed by speech, nor penned in books. A dreary, barren waste, wrapped in solitude and night, would have reigned for human contemplation. It is by daring to step aside from the beaten track of tradition, and bringing forth from the dark arcana of nature into the light of day some new truth, that we add our mite to the common stock of knowledge already accumulated. He who denies us this grand right of our nature is a scientific bigot, and has yet to learn that even the school and college were only established to discipline the mind for action. The truths that God has established inherent in nature are not only infinitely diversified, but are at the same time immutable and eternal. No possible addition can be made to their number, nor is it in the power of man to create or annihilate a single truth in the empire of nature. They exist, independent of his belief or unbelief, and all he can do is to search them out, and bring them forth from darkness into the light of day.

And he who has the magnanimity to do this, so far from being opposed and persecuted, should be sustained and encouraged as the benefactor of his race. That the new psychology in its application to the cure of diseases should meet with some opposition from men of a peculiar constitution of mind, and a certain degree of scientific attainments, is nothing strange. Nor is it at all miraculous that a few, who are deemed men of talents, should oppose and even deride it as a humbug. But as genius is supremely higher than talents, so I boldly and safely make the declaration that no man of genius has ever opposed Suggestive Therapeutics. All other sciences in their infancy received from such men a like opposition, and upon their founders they freely breathed out their derision, scorn, and sneers. Harvey discovered the circulation of the blood, and was opposed and derided, but Harvey's name stands immortal on the records of true fame, and the blood still continues to frolic in crimson streams through its living channels, while his learned opposers are forgotten. The same can be said of Galileo in his discovery of the rotation of the globe on its axis; Newton in the discovery of the law of gravitation. Pulton was derided, and even men of science pointed at him the finger of indignant scorn because he declared that steam could move an engine of tremendous power and propel vessels of thousands of tons burthen against wind and tide. Such has been the fate of all sciences in the infancy of their existence.

The moment they were born into life the battleaxe was raised against them, and each in succession has fought its way up to manhood. The victory in favor of truth has always been sure, and millions of sycophants in the contest have perished. How lamentable is the consideration that there are those in this day of light who, regardless of the warning voice of past generations, coming up from ten thousand graves, still shut their ears and close their eyes to keep popular with those on whom they depend for momentary fame. True fame consists in the lofty aspirations after intellectual and moral truth; and when these are found and cherished, that so deep will be the convictions of duty, sustained by sterling honor, that no popularity — no bribes of wealth and splendor — no fears of frowns, nor even the hazard of life exposed to wasting tortures shall deter that man from expressing and maintaining such truth. He who does this possesses true and righteous fame. Should the scoffers of rising science challenge me to produce such an example of true fame ever being set on earth, I would point them to one perfect specimen on the sacred page. I would point them to the Son of Man, in the majesty of whose virtues, honor and firmness in proclaiming truth, language is impoverished, all human description fails, and the living light of eloquence is darkened forever. As the object of the science of Suggestive Therapeutics to produce such mental and moral impressions upon the sick and afflicted as shall restore them to health and happiness, and as this can positively be accomplished upon all who can be brought into the psychological state, so the vast importance and utility of this science are but faintly realized by the public at large — are but dimly seen. Even when a person cannot be brought into the most perfect psychological state so that a muscle can be paralyzed, still we can, in the great majority of cases, either cure or greatly benefit the sufferer by physical and mental impressions upon his body and mind, provided he will faithfully follow our directions.

Chapter II

The purpose of this chapter is to explain as simply as possible the meaning of the word Psychology, and to point out the scientific application of the knowledge we have gained from the study of the science to all kinds and classes of disease.

Psychology means briefly the science of the mind; a knowledge of the power within; and the application of this science to the physical ills of the body is known as Suggestive Therapeutics. The value of psychology to the world at large lies in its power to ameliorate conditions of disease. It is well to recognize that there are powers in the mind of man which will make the healthy man more healthy, but the point which will appeal more forcibly to a sufferer and an invalid is that by the use of psychology we bring into play an active, positive force which will make the sick body well by restoring the normal or natural conditions. Now the natural condition of man is health, and without touching here upon the vexed question of heredity and hereditary influences it may be broadly stated that the old saying, 'As a man thinketh in his heart, so he is,' is being constantly proven true. If a man believes himself to be sick, he will by his own thought produce in himself physical changes corresponding to the nature of the disease he believes himself to be suffering from. The treatment of disease by psychological processes may be summarized thus: Thoughts are things; change the thought and benefit will ensue. Let us begin at the beginning and show what scientific warrant we have for our declaration that the mind of man is powerful enough, when properlydirected, to control certain forms of disease. We can follow out our argument without diverging from the question as it applies to the healing art.

It is now many years since the pilgrim in search of health made his journey to Lourdes, France, in the hope that by the healing grace of the saint he worshipped he might be healed of his bodily infirmity. Wonderful indeed, to witness or to read of, is the now yearly pilgrimages to that shrine of the halt, the blind, and the sick, and still more wonderful to those who are ignorant of the principles at work are the remarkable cures which result from that journey. It has been estimated that 10 per cent of the so-called incurable cases have yielded to the healing power of the shrine. Is this, then, an evidence of a miracle? By no means. Among all nations and people there are certain localities or certain persons credited with the possession of this healing power of supernatural origin. Through the efforts of Monseigneur de Laval in the year 1670 a precious relic was obtained from Carcassone, a town in France ; nothing less, in fact, than a notable fragment of a finger bone of Saint Anne herself. This relic was conveyed to the church and has not ceased to be the object of fervent devotion. The letters attesting its authenticity can be seen hanging in frames upon the walls of the sacristy.

Within the past two decades a marvelous efficacy in the curing of disease has been found to exist in the waters of a spring which rises a few steps behind the chapel of Beaupre.

It matters very little whether the particular " charm " which works the cure is in the form of a piece of wood, a block of stone, a finger bone of a saint, a glass of consecrated water, or a living being. The point to note is, that a very large percentage of the so-called miracles are actually wrought, and that, apparently, through personal contact with the charm. But we find that when a piece of ordinary wood was substituted without the knowledge of the supplicant for a supposed fragment of the true cross in the Geneva Monastery there was no abatement of the cures or miracles. "When a piece of iron was enclosed in a small case, and held aloft to be gazed at by the stricken wretches in search of ease from suffering, the results obtained were precisely the same as when that case did indeed contain a bone from the foot of one of the saints. So that from these and from a dozen other known facts of similar import we gather this scientific truth. The healing virtue does not rest in the relic, but in the attitude of mind of the sufferer. In other words, those who were healed were healed by the power of their own minds suddenly roused into activity. It may be taken for granted that among those unfortunate who made and still make their pilgrimage, and who return as sick as when they started, a large proportion could be benefited and perhaps restored to health by the judicious employment of specific medicines. Faith worketh marvels truly, but faith alone is not sufficient for all things in this materialistic age.

In face of the fact that some are healed by faith, and some are not, theory falls to the ground, and we must deal with the facts as we find them. In these cures by faith there is no evidence of the transmission of divine power from the relic or agent to the sufferer. There is no evidence of a miracle. A miracle is something supernatural, something beyond the pale of natural law. Do we know of any example in which the laws of nature were arbitrarily thrust aside? I refer now especially to the miracles of healing. Did not the great Healer himself demand that in those he healed the conditions of faith, or expectancy of relief should be present? How often do we find that quality, ' 'faith," the condition, the essential condition, upon which the wonder depended! We quote a few examples, "Thy faith hath saved thee." "According to thy faith be it unto you." "0 thou of little faith." "I have not found so great a faith." "And he did not many miracles there because of their unbelief." It would seem then that the condition of mind of the sufferer is a very potent factor in establishing or removing a disease. In carefully diagnosing the case treated by miracle workers, metaphysicians and mental healers of all kinds we come upon the important facts. Firstly, they can and do cure similar ailments in different people by entirely different modes of treatments, and in using the word "ailments" we do not mean thereby merely hysterical diseases. Secondly, they do not perform a cure until the mind of the patient is brought by prayer, communion, thought, or reading into a condition of hope, merging into the conviction of faith, has been established. We know that certain cases which have baffled the skill of the duly qualified physician yield to the mental treatment of the metaphysician. We know, also, that many of these cases which derive no benefit from the mental treatment are quickly and permanently cured by medicine.

Is there a reason for this too? Is the virtue in the drug? Sometimes, yes; or here again, as in the case of the worshiper at the shrine, the virtue may be in the patient. He cured himself by the agency of drugs, because drugs were, in his case, the strongest suggestion that his mind could grasp of benefit to follow. There are certain medicines which are a help to the sick, and in their physiological action upon all temperaments are uniform and salutary. To refuse to employ medicine of any kind is the height of folly, and is the weak spot in the armor of the mental healer. To refuse to acknowledge the power of the mind when properly directed, by scientific methods, is the weakness of the duly qualified physician, and not all his knowledge of medicine, anatomy, surgery, and physiology, can compensate for his ignorance of phychology. Although the medical profession discountenance the simple remedies in the main, it must not be supposed that they do not in some instances make use of the power of suggestion. Let us take a case in point: In treating one who has been a victim of the morhpine habit, the physician is sometimes implored by his patient for just enough morphine to make him sleep. "For God's sake," he cries, "just one injection to send me to sleep." What course does the physician pursue here? To argue would be useless; to tell this tortured creature that his mind was all-powerful, and could control the suffering of his body, would seem like a jest, a mockery. The doctor assents, and gives his patient a hypodermic injection into his arm, an injection of pure water, which the patient believes to be morphine.

Now observe the force of suggestion. With his mind and body racked and tortured by pain, the patient, on receiving the injection of water, is convinced that his suffering will cease and that he will be compelled to sleep. And when this conviction is present the result will generally follow. His mind then fortified by suggestion asserts its power over the body. It is his mind that calms his nerves and soothes his brain; it is his mind that sends him to sleep. Thus far then we have proceeded in our argument. We have proved that in certain cases of abnormal conditions of the body, which is disease, the mind is supreme in effecting a cure. Now, without detracting, or seeking to detract from the credit which is due to all schools of healing, by whatever name they may be called, for the great work they are doing toward the relief of suffering, let us bear in mind that their successes are all due to one fundamental principle in human nature, i. e., the power of the mind to help itself, and so to help the body. These different schools do not create the power; it is there already; it is in the mind; a part of it which is every man's birthright. This power does not depend upon a profession of Christianity, or any other faith. It is as perfect in the atheist as in the religious fanatic; in the agnostic as in the devotee; in the woman as in the man. And as the successes of these schools of healing are traceable to one cause, so their failure also can be accounted for. Either the patient's mind is not properly attuned to the treatment he is undergoing; either he has no confidence in the remedies employed, and therefore he receives no benefit; or his disease demanded the use of material medicine. Is there no remedy for this state of affairs? Yes, there is a remedy, and it is found in the study of Suggestive Therapeutics. Even at the present time there is no school of healing which is not based upon the truths of psychology, not one which psychology does not embrace and envelope. It is the Arrons rod of medical science; and, coupled with the judicious employment of medicines, it is more effective in the treatment of disease than any other method known to man. Psychology deals directly with the mind. There is no muscle or nerve in the human body which cannot be brought under the absolute control of the mind. Physicians have given their attention to the body, and have neglected to cultivate the natural force of recuperation and resistance which is inherent in every man. Metaphysicians have gone to the other extreme, and have despised the weakness of the body, refusing to sanction the use of necessary medicines. The wise man is he who bends all things to his service in the evolution of good.

In order that you may better understand the modus operandi of the law of suggestion, I will first make a physiological explanation of our being, which will prepare the way for a treatise on the psychological powers and functions of the mind. We have two distinct brains — the cerebrum, with its two hemispheres and six lobes,

-14^- commencing at the frontal part of the skull and occupying the greater portion of the cavity ; and the cerebellum, which occupies the back portion of the skull. The spinal marrow, extending through the vertebrae to the bottom of the trunk, is but the continuation of these two brains. From the spinal marrow branch out thirty- two pairs of nerves, embracing both the nerves of motion and those of sensation. From these again branch out others and in thousands of ramifications carry out the full power of both brains into every part of the system. The cerebrum is the great fountain of the voluntary nerves, through which the voluntary powers of the mind ever act. The cerebellum is the fountain of the involuntary nerves, through which the involuntary powers of the mind ever act. Though the voluntary and involuntary nerves from these two brains seem to blend in the spinal marrow, yet they preserve their distinct character, even to their final termination in the system, and execute the functions appertaining to their own office in producing voluntary and involuntary motion. Such is the residence of the human mind, which seems to hold its throne in the medulla oblongata, at the fountain head of the voluntary and involuntary nerves. From thence the mind, by its volitions, controls all the voluntary motions of the body, through the cerebrum. At will I move my hands in any possible direction I please to handle substances, and at will I move my feet to walk. But over the throbbings of my heart, the ultimate heaving of my lungs, the circulation of my blood, and the digestion of food in my stomach, I have no voluntary control. Awake, asleep, at home, abroad, the heart continues its motions, and the functions of life are executed, whether I will it or not. These then receive their motions frOm the involuntary powers of my mind, acting through the cerebellum. That these are all moved by mind is certain, because, take the mind or spirit from the body and all whether voluntary or involuntary instantly cease. We come now to a study of the duality of the mind. As man is possessed of two forces, positive and negative, and two brains, cerebrum and cerebellum, so he is possessed, of two minds, the subjective and the objective. The objective mind resides in the cerebrum. It is the mind with which we do business; the mind that comes, develops with, and finally dies with the physical body. It controls as before stated all voluntary motion. It is taught to reason by all processes, induction, deduction analytic and synthetic. The subjective mind is a separate and distinct entity. It may be said to occupy the whole human body, especially the cerebellum and spinal column. It controls all involuntary motion. As it is the subjective with which we have to do in the cure of disease and correction of vice, I will here give the normal functions of the subjective mind as formulated by Thomas J. Hudson.

(1) It is constantly amenable to control by the power of suggestion.

(2) It is incapable of inductive reasoning; can reason only by deduction. Inductive reasoning is to first have facts, verified, and classified, and then reason from these particular facts up to generals. Deductive reasoning, is to begin with generals and reason down to particulars.

(3) It has practically a perfect memory.

(4) It is the seat of the emotions. Under this head we find four minor functions which may be said, three of them belong to all animal creation; they are instinctive emotions as follows:

(a) Self-preservation.

(b) Eeproduction.

(c) Preservation of the offspring.

(d) Religious worship. These are the only normal functions of the soul in its relation to the physical body.

(5) The subjective mind possesses the power to move ponderable objects without physical contact; this is witnessed in spiritism.

(6) It has the power to communicate and receive intelligence otherwise than through the channels of the senses. It perceives by intuition which is called telepathy.

(7) Its activity and power are inversely proportionate to the vigor and healthfulness of the physical organism — that is, the nearer death and dissolution we approach, the stronger and more active becomes the subjective mind.

(8) It absolutely controls the functions, sensations, and conditions of the body, when not opposed by the objective mind. All of the silent involuntary and vegetative functions, nutrition, waste, all secretion and excretion, the heart and lungs, and all cell life are positively under the complete control of the subjective mind. The subjective mind never sleeps. The faculty of measuring time is inherent in the subjective mind alone. It accepts without doubt or hesitation every suggestion made to it, no matter how absurd, or incongruous, so long as the suggestion does not conflict with the settled convictions and principles of one's life. This can at any time be demonstrated by a simple hypnotic experiment. Having now before us the functions of the two minds, we will now consider how to apply suggestion in the cure of diseases. The subjective mind being constantly amenable to control by the power of suggestion, and controlling the functions, sensations, and conditions of the body, we have simply to place the subject for treatment in a psychological state, where the objective mind will not oppose us, nor enter into controversy with us; and this we do by inducing a hypnosis. Hypnotism, as it is called, is a misnomer; it is rather psychotism: which is the elevation of the subjective mind above the threshold of consciousness, and the partial abeyance of the objective mind. When this state has been induced, we then proceed to make such suggestions as may fit the case under consideration, and which is given in another chapter.

Chapter III The Sum Of Mental Healing

The Method.

To be or not to be sick — that is the all-prevailing question. To enjoy or not to enjoy happiness — is another. These subjects appear as if they were matters of our own choosing and at our own discretion. If this be true, to what extent and by what principle or method? The answer lies in proper diet, regular habits, plenty of exercise, water and soap, rest and relaxation, says the hygienist. In proper medical treatment for abnormal conditions, says the physician. Sickness is not normal and entirely unnecessary says the futurist. We shall learn, sometime, to avoid it all and live forever. Emerson says: " Natural laws which are the angels of the Most High and which obey his mandates are rolling on the time when sickness shall depart from the body and sins from the soul." 'When the child shall die an hundred years old.' Is. 65. "I see a glory coming to man such as cannot be described by tongue or pen of poet or prophet." There is no sin, sickness or death. We are neither born nor die; it is all an illusion of mortal mind, interposes a certain pseudo philosophy which claim to be very scientific and withal Christian. Now the truth is, that all of these systems have an element of truth in them and happy is the one who can recognize and combine them all with their proper application. It is the height of folly for us to denounce the good in any system because, perchance, there may be many vagaries or incongruities attached to such system. On the other hand, it is equally as absurd to claim that any one of these methods has reached the ne plus ultra stage and that they contain all that is worth knowing when, "By their fruits ye shall know them." They all make their cures and are all about equal in the proportion of successes reported. The treatment of any disease ought always to be according to the peculiarity and conditions existing. One condition may require one thing and another an entirely different application. We do not give a thirsty child dry bread to quench its thrist, nor prune our potatoes like we do our grape vines. Just so great is the difference between a wound, a broken bone, an acute germ disease, a functional derangement like many dyspepsias and causes of headaches, an organic disease as a leaky heart or tuberculor lung. And just so great is the difference between treatment demanded.

The cause of disease may lie in injury, in a diseased or impaired organ, in germ-infection, in overwork or lack of work, or in improper diet, or in abnormal mental conditions as anger or worry.

The remedy, according to the case, may be surgery, antiseptics, internal medicine, diet, rest and relaxation, exercise of mind and body, or mental and spiritual change ; or several of these may be combined ; or the disease may be incurable and only comfort be sought.

We have now, we trust, cleared away the underbrush and rubbish for speaking to those who are interested in the influence of the mind upon matters of health and disease. The subject is now a live one. It is in the air and in the magazines and religious papers. It is being discussed in the ministers' meetings. The recent combinations of ministry and medicine, Christianity and psychology, the combined diagnosis of the mind and the body, as practised at Emmanuel church in Boston by Dr. Worcester, and by Bishop Fallows in Chicago, have quickened interest and questioning. In treating this subject I have in mind several kinds of people but particularly those who are interested in getting at the root of a matter and avoiding the tendency to believe that one key will unlock all doors. We live in a world of consistent law, as we constantly acknowledge by attention to hunger, thirst, warmth, comfort and agriculture. We believe in the reality of this old universe and that we, also, are real, acting in accordance with law. Call it matter or what you please, it is a realm of law.