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T H E TORCH OF REASON, S IL V E R T O N , OREGON, S E P T E M B E R 13, E. M. 300 (1900.)
row lim its, and on condition th a t o n stratio n , to retu rn to faith and ieting, was evidenced in the effects rowed m ysticism .
th ey converge toward a common find th a t it is the surest of all sci- produced. N othing transpired in
Those who understand hypno­
point. It drains for its own use— 'cntific forces of which h um anity any experim ent which was not tism iu the true sense of the word,
at least in the proportion possible has any knowledge. I am going ante-dated by this expectancy.
well know th a t th at was the most
— the entire cerebral activity.
to try to show you why
Hence the law is well estab­ ridiculous hullabaloo the scientific
In cases of spontaneous a tte n ­
U ntil the doctrine of faith was lished; the invidual himself, whose world ever instigated. In the sci­
tion, the whole body converges proclaim ed, there was no appre­ expectancy has been aroused, works entific analysis and complete u n ­
towards its object, the eyes, ears hension whatsoever of the nature the needed cure upon himself.
derstanding of hypnotism , there is
and sometimes the arm s; all mo­ of sp iritu al forces or of the law
It is, therefore, scarcely just to nothing whatsoever dangerous to
tions are arrested. Our personality which underlay their operation. In denounce C hristian Science m erely
the hum an race. We m ust, how­
is captured, th a t is, all the ten d en ­ all ages so-called m iraculous cures because it rests upon auto-sugges­
ever, thoroughly com prehend its
cies of the individual, all his a v a il­ have been effected, and w ithout a tion, since auto-suggestion is the
laws before we seek to exercise it.
able energy aim at the sam e point. doubt, because of the exercise of underlying principle on which all
Foolish experim enting with it— a p ­
The physical and external a d a p ta ­ th e faith of the individual in the hypnotic experim entations rest.
proaching it from an unscientific
tion is a sign of psychic and inw ard one who operated upon him ; and P erhaps this ju st and em phatic
and ch a rlatan point of view—m ay
adaptation. Convergence is a re­ j e t no one, until the time of Jesus, criticism of C hristian Science may
indeed induce certain dangers. But
duction to unity substituting itself clearly em phasized the idea th at be made, th a t it em ploys a scien­
so would electricity, dynam ite,
for th a t diffusion of movements there m ust exist in the individual tific law as a religious superstition,
gun-cotton and liquid air. Fools
and attitu d es which characterizes this q u ality of faith before the and thus befogs the m inds of the
m ust not rush in where angels fear
the norm al state.
sought-for cure can be effected. simple, while it fills the temples of to tread.
In cases of voluntary attention, You will see, friends, th a t in mod learning with a m eaningless jargon
The scientific world is now be­
ad ap tatio n is most frequently in­ ern science we are just beginning whose very verbosity defies the
ginning to understand th a t w hat
complete, in term itten t, w ithout to discern the m eaning, the law arid gods.
is called the hypnotic power—the
solidity. The m ovem ents are in ­ the operation of the principle [im ­
Modern discoveries reveal this
hibited, yet to reappear from time pulse] of faith. This discovery law of iife: Man is endowed with supposed ability of one man to
to time. T he organism converges, does not prove th a t the individua certain capabilities which he may throw another into artificial sleep,
but in a languid, relu ctan t sort of in whom the faith is exercised pos­ discover through the exercise of and m ake it im possible for the su b ­
way. Interm issions of physical sesses any essentially superior the established laws of his being, ject to awaken until the hypnotist
adaptation are a sign of interm is­ qualification. I t proves only— by which he m ay overcome the a p ­ elects to release him —is very
sions of m ental adaptation. The and the scientific law consists in parent lim itations of m atter, and largely a figment of the mind, a-
personality has been only partly th is— th a t faith aw akens the m en­ only when he rises superior to the pure m y th —an invention of ig­
won, and at interm ittent moments. tal expectancy of the individual; lim ited possibilities of his physical norance.
H ypnotism is sim ply the opera­
A ttention consists in an intellect­ and as his m ental expectancy is powers and reaches his e x tra ­
ual state, exclusive or predom inant, aroused, his own m ental forces ordinary forces, is he able to a cer­ tion of one m ind by suggestion
with spontaneous or artificial adap­ produce the desired effect. In short, tain extent to conquer the body, upon another m ind; sim ply an ex­
tation of the individual.
“ faith is the religious synonym the physical environm ents in which aggeration of th a t fam e process
It will be seen, in the end, th a t of the scientific term “ auto sug­ he dwells, and to look out beyond which we are exercising every day
attention in no respect resembles gestion.”
and above him into a “ spiritual upon one another when we engage
in the ordinary associations and
an independent activity; th a t it is
We have heard much concerning realm ’’ which invites to h ith erto
relations of life. We have not u n ­
bound up with perfectly determ ined
auto-suggestion in these modern undream ed-of victories.
physical conditions; th at it acts
H ad it not been for the storm oi derstood the law; th a t is all.
days. I t has become an especial
only through the latter, and is de­
G rad u ally science is beginning to
topic of discussion in cu rren t scien­ denunciation incited by the profes­
pendent on the same.
discern and grapple it. Ignorance
tific literature. Most of the c riti­ sions ol' a Paracelsus, a Mesmer, a
As a m atter of fact, in every cism directed against the theory is G asner and others, who attracted is all th a t is dangerous about h y p ­
sound hum an being there is always
notism . Ignorance is the only
based on m istaken and erroneous the atten tio n of the scientific world
a d o m in an t idea th a t regulates his
premises. Some assert th a t C hris­ to what was inherent iu the hum an danger th a t ever has, or ever can,
conduct, such as pleasure, money,
tian Science is merely the super­ organism , we could not today boast confront hum anity. To fear to
am bition [d u ty ], or the soul’s sal­
stitious and ignorant em ploym ent of a B ernheim , a Charcot, a Ribot, learn is th e stoutest link in the
vation. This fixed idea, which lasts
of “ auto-suggestion.” T he d istin ­ with their wonderful discoveries chain of slavery. Some fools may
throughout life—except in cases
guished professor, Dr. Jno. D. and clear, logical analyses, prophe­ have to be killed th a t wisdom m ay
where another is substituted for it
Quackenhos, of Columbia Uuiver- sying a final system of rem edies come, but the world can afford to
•— becomes finally resolved into a a;fv v v
,i
■
sacrifice its fools for the sake of
,
.
, . ,
sity, N. 1 ., denounces C nristian or the alleviation of physical an d
nxed passion, which once more
Science, sim ply because, as he a l­ m ental disorders which bids fair to scientific progress. H ypnotism is
proves th a t atten tio n and all its
the last call to Science. If she
leges, it rests wholly upon the overthrow M ateria Medica itself.
forms of appearance depend on
Hence we behold today the en- heeds not, Folly will anticipate
principles of auto-suggestion.
em otional states. The metamor-
ire medical fratern ity standing her and th e C h arlatan will usurp
Auto-suggestion,
plainly
stated,
phis of attention into a fixed idea
aghast, with eyes dilated, at the the ch air of the instructor.
is
a
suggestion
of
the
individual
to
is much more clearly seen in great
achievem ents of modern hypno-
W hen Benjam in F ran k lin tim ­
him
self
th
at,
if
he
subm
its
to
cer­
men. “ W hat is a great life?” asks
ism. At first they railed at and idly approached the forked lig h t­
tain
conditions,
he
will
become
con­
Alfred de Vigny. “ A thought of
spat upon it. I t was aw ful; it was ning with kite and string and key,
our youth, realized in m ature age.” scious of certain elfects in his m en­ the superstitious bugaboo of m edi­ and for the m om ent was cast down
In
m any
famous
men
th is, tal and physical organs.
evalism ; it was the invention of by the shock, the unscientific world
“ th o u g h t” has frequently been so! ^ ome years ago Professor Car- the devil himself. “ Touch it n o tl”
proclaim ed the fact as an evidence
•
■ .
_
l a
absorbing and ty ran n ical th a t no penter, iu E ngland, made a series said they; it is a horror; it is one
th a t m an should not fool w ith the
one can hardly dispute its morbid of very rem arkable ex p erim en ta­ of the bubbling founts of hell,
devil, and if he does, it is a t his
tions, extending over a num ber o f which is full of the su lp h u r of d am ­
character.
everlasting peril. Nevertheless, the
years, in which he sought to dis- nation; and if you but put the tips
scientific world, undism ayed by
H y p n o tism , F a ith an d Religion. cover l,,e law underlying the oper- of your fingers to it, it will burn
F ra n k lin ’s tem porary discom fiture,
---------- -
ations of auto-suggestion. In his t rough and through your soul and
continued to experim ent with this
BY HENRY frank .
day it was called odic or m esm eric body.” “ Leave it alone,” they
m ysterious and defiant elem ent,
i force. He was able to show th a t cried, “ for it is the most dangerous
until it tam ed and chained the
We may pooh-pooh it as we all the results produced were th e
of all possible scientific pu rsu its.” m onster, forcing it to do m an ’s b id ­
please from every conceivable direct effect of expectancy. W hen
And in their wake followed the re­ ding, directing it at will hither and
scientific stan d p o in t; we may argue he operated on a subject, he would
ligious an tediluvians, who were as th ith e r
throughout
the earth,
th a t faith is a chim era, a mere fig- either aw aken in him certain ex-
much terrorized at the possibility henceforth to be his slave and not
inent of the m ind, a bugaboo of re- pectant results or he would dis-
of a scientific ex p lan atio n of so- his m aster, to the glorification of
ligious superstition; th at it is fol- cover what the conscious or uncon-
called biblical m iracles as the mod­ hum an knowledge and the benefac­
de-rol and folly, stupidity and ig- scious expectation of the subject
ern pseudo-religionists, who fear tion of the entire rtce.
norance; nevertheless, we shall be was, and in every case the expect-
lest the m antle of m ystery be torn
T his will be the final issue with
lorced, by absolute scientific dem- ancy th u s aroused, or latently ex-
from the shoulders of their bor- | hypnotism . It will be scientifically