CHAPTER V ANIMAL MAGNETISM UNMASKED | |||
PAGE 100
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Earliest investigations MESMERISM or animal magnetism was first
brought
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cording to the American Cyclopaedia, he regarded this so-called force, which he said could be ex- erted by one living organism over another, as | ||
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a means of alleviating disease. His propositions were as follows : "There exists a mutual influence between the celestial | ||
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bodies, the earth, and animated things. Animal bodies are susceptible to the influence of this agent, disseminat- ing itself through the substance of the nerves." | ||
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In 1784, the French government ordered the medical faculty of Paris to investigate Mesmer's theory and to report upon it. Under this order a commission was | ||
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appointed, and Benjamin Franklin was one of the com- missioners. This commission reported to the govern- ment as follows: | ||
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"In regard to the existence and utility of animal mag-
netism, we have come to the unanimous conclusions that there is no proof of the existence of the animal magnetic PAGE 101 | ||
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fluid; that the violent effects, which are observed in the public practice of magnetism, are due to manipula- | ||
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tions, or to the excitement of the imagination and the impressions made upon the senses; and that there is one more fact to be recorded in the history of the errors of | ||
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the human mind, and an important experiment upon
the power of the imagination."
Clairvoyance, magnetism | ||
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among whom were Roux, Bouillaud, and Clo- quet, which tested during several sessions the phenomena exhibited by a reputed clairvoyant. Their | ||
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report stated the results as follows:
"The facts which had been promised by Monsieur | ||
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throw light on physiological and therapeutical questions, are certainly not conclusive in favor of the doctrine of animal magnetism, and have nothing in common with | ||
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either physiology or therapeutics."
This report was adopted by the Royal Academy of Personal conclusions | ||
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The author's own observations of the workings of animal magnetism convince her that it is not a remedial agent, and that its effects upon | ||
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those who practise it, and upon their subjects who do not resist it, lead to moral and to physical death. If animal magnetism seems to alleviate or to cure dis- | ||
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ease, this appearance is deceptive, since error cannot remove the effects of error. Discomfort under error is preferable to comfort. In no instance is the effect of | ||
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animal magnetism, recently called hypnotism, other than the effect of illusion. Any seeming benefit derived from it is proportional to one's faith in esoteric magic. PAGE 102 Mere negation | ||
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Animal magnetism has no scientific foundation, for God governs all that is real, harmonious, and eternal, and | ||
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His power is neither animal nor human. Its basis being a belief and this belief animal, in Science animal magnetism, mesmerism, or hypnotism is | ||
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a mere negation, possessing neither intelligence, power, nor reality, and in sense it is an unreal concept of the so- called mortal mind. | ||
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There is but one real attraction, that of Spirit. The pointing of the needle to the pole symbolizes this all- embracing power or the attraction of God, divine Mind. | ||
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The planets have no more power over man than over his Maker, since God governs the universe; but man, reflecting God's power, has dominion over all the earth | ||
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and its hosts.
Hidden agents | ||
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The looms of crime, hidden in the dark re- cesses of mortal thought, are every hour weav- ing webs more complicated and subtle. So secret are the | ||
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present methods of animal magnetism that they ensnare the age into indolence, and produce the very apathy on the subject which the criminal desires. The following | ||
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is an extract from the Boston Herald:
"Mesmerism is a problem not lending itself to an easy | ||
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of despotic control, and is much more likely to be abused by its possessor, than otherwise employed, for the in- dividual or society." Mental despotism | ||
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Mankind must learn that evil is not power. Its so- called despotism is but a phase of nothingness. Christian Science despoils the kingdom of evil, and pre-eminently PAGE 103 | ||
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promotes affection and virtue in families and therefore in the community. The Apostle Paul refers to the | ||
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personification of evil as "the god of this
world," and further defines it as dishonesty and craftiness. Sin was the Assyrian moon-god. Liberation of mental powers | ||
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The destruction of the claims of mortal mind through Science, by which man can escape from sin and mortality, blesses the whole human fam- | ||
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ily. As in the beginning, however, this libera-
tion does not scientifically show itself in a knowledge of both good and evil, for the latter is unreal. | ||
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On the other hand, Mind-science is wholly separate from any half-way impertinent knowledge, because Mind- science is of God and demonstrates the divine Principle, | ||
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working out the purposes of good only. The maximum
of good is the infinite God and His idea, the All-in-all. Evil is a suppositional lie. The genus of error | ||
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As named in Christian Science, animal magnetism or hypnotism is the specific term for error, or mortal mind. It is the false belief that mind is in matter, and | ||
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is both evil and good; that evil is as real as
good and more powerful. This belief has not one qual- ity of Truth. It is either ignorant or malicious. The | ||
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malicious form of hypnotism ultimates in moral idiocy. The truths of immortal Mind sustain man, and they anni- hilate the fables of mortal mind, whose flimsy and gaudy | ||
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pretensions, like silly moths, singe their own wings and fall into dust.
Thought-transference | ||
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quently no transference of mortal thought and will-power. Life and being are of God. In Christian Science, man can do no harm, for PAGE 104 | ||
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scientific thoughts are true thoughts, passing from God to man. | ||
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When Christian Science and animal magnetism are both comprehended, as they will be at no distant date, it will be seen why the author of this book has been | ||
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so unjustly persecuted and belied by wolves in sheep's clothing. Agassiz, the celebrated naturalist and author, has | ||
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wisely said: "Every great scientific truth goes through three stages. First, people say it conflicts with the Bible. Next, they say it has been discovered before. Lastly, | ||
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they say they have always believed it."
Perfection of divine government | ||
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all divine action, as the emanation of divine
Mind, and the consequent wrongness of the opposite so-called action, - evil, occultism, | ||
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necromancy, mesmerism, animal magnetism, hypnotism.
Adulteration of Truth | ||
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pensities and by no means the mental quali- ties which heal the sick. The hypnotizer employs one error to destroy another. If he heals sick- | ||
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ness through a belief, and a belief originally caused the sickness, it is a case of the greater error overcoming the lesser. This greater error thereafter occupies the ground, | ||
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leaving the case worse than before it was grasped by the stronger error.
Motives considered | ||
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well as the commission of a crime. Is it not
clear that the human mind must move the body to a wicked act? Is not mortal mind the mur- PAGE 105 | ||
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derer? The hands, without mortal mind to direct them, could not commit a murder. Mental crimes | ||
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Courts and juries judge and sentence mortals in order to restrain crime, to prevent deeds of violence or to punish them. To say that these tribunals have no | ||
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jurisdiction over the carnal or mortal mind, would be to contradict precedent and to admit that the power of human law is restricted to matter, while mortal | ||
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mind, evil, which is the real outlaw, defies justice and is recommended to mercy. Can matter commit a crime? Can matter be punished? Can you separate the men- | ||
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tality from the body over which courts hold jurisdiction?
Mortal mind, not matter, is the criminal in every case; and human law rightly estimates crime, and courts rea- | ||
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sonably pass sentence, according to the motive.
Important decision | ||
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offences, these words of Judge Parmenter of Boston will become historic: "I see no reason why metaphysics is not as important to medicine as to | ||
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mechanics or mathematics."
Evil let loose | ||
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curs is never safe. God will arrest him. Di-
vine justice will manacle him. His sins will be millstones about his neck, weighing him down to the | ||
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depths of ignominy and death. The aggravation of er- ror foretells its doom, and confirms the ancient axiom: "Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad." The misuse of mental power | ||
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The distance from ordinary medical prac-
tice to Christian Science is full many a league in the line of light; but to go in healing from the use of PAGE 106 | ||
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inanimate drugs to the criminal misuse of human will- power, is to drop from the platform of common manhood | ||
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into the very mire of iniquity, to work against the free course of honesty and justice, and to push vainly against the current running heavenward. Proper self-government | ||
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Like our nation, Christian Science has its Declaration of Independence. God has endowed man with inalien- able rights, among which are self-government, | ||
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reason, and conscience. Man is properly self- governed only when he is guided rightly and governed by his Maker, divine Truth and Love. | ||
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Man's rights are invaded when the divine order is in- terfered with, and the mental trespasser incurs the divine penalty due this crime. Right methods | ||
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Let this age, which sits in judgment on Christian
Science, sanction only such methods as are demonstrable in Truth and known by their fruit, and classify | ||
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all others as did St. Paul in his great epistle
to the Galatians, when he wrote as follows: "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are | ||
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these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, | ||
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revellings and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But | ||
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the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." |
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