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CHAPTER XII. SUGGESTIVE HEALING.

Suggestive Healing is based upon the effect of Mental Influence upon the Instinctive Mind. It holds that just as the adverse suggestion of another, or of one 's self, may produce abnormal conditions of the body through the Instinctive Mind, so may the good suggestions of another, or one's self restore normal conditions.

The effect of the mental states upon the body is well known to those who have examined into the matter, as well among physical scientists as among occultists. We cite or quote a few instances here, in order to call your attention to the facts underlying Suggestive Healing.

Prof. James, the eminent psychologist, has said: "The fact is that there is no sort of consciousness whatever, it sensation, feeling or idea, which does not directly and of itself tend to discharge into some motor effect.

The motor effect need not always be an outer stroke of behavior. It may be only an alteration of the heartbeats or breathing, or a modification in the distribution of the blood, such as blushing or turning pale; or what not. But in any case, it is there in some shape when any consciousness is there; and a belief as fundamental as any in modern psychology, is the belief at last attained, that conscious processes of any sort, conscious processes merely as such, must pass over into motion open or concealed."

Bain says: "There have occurred many instances of death, or mental derangement, from a shock of grief, pain, or calamity; this is in accordance with the general law.

Darwin says: "In protracted grief the circulation becomes languid ; the face pale ; the muscles flaccid ; the eyelids droop ; the head hangs on the contracted chest; the lips, cheeks, and lower jaw all sink downward from their own weight. The whole expression of a man in good spirits is exactly opposite of the one suffering from sorrow."

Olston says : "If the general law of the body be that of cheer, hope, joy, love, and desire for health and happiness give growth to tissue, strong and normal action to the organs of the body, and thereby health in general ; while fear, melancholy, malice, hatred, dejection, loss of confidence and all other morbid states of mind tend to the lassitude of the functions and the depletion of the organs I feel that too much enthusiasm cannot be raised in the reader's mind npon these all important facts."

Flammarion Bays : "An idea, an impression, a mental commotion, while entirely internal, can produce in another direction physiological effects more or less intense, and is even capable of causing death. Examples are not wanting of persons dying suddenly in consequence of emotion. The power which imagination is capable of exercising over life has long been established. The experiment performed in the last century of a man condemned to death, who was made the subject of a study by medical men, is well known. The subject of the experiment was fastened securely to a table with strong straps, his eyes were bandaged, and he was then told that he was to be bled from the neck until every drop of his blood had been drained. After this an insignificant puncture was made in his skin with the point of a needle, and a syphon arranged near his head in such a manner as to allow a stream of water to flow over his neck and fall with a slight sound to a basin placed on the floor. At the end of six minutes the condemned man, believing that he had lost at least seven or eight quarts of blood, died in terror."

Maudsley says: "Emotion may undoubtedly favor, hinder, or pervert nutrition, and increase, lessen, or alter a secretion; in doing which there is reason to think that it acts, not only by dilating or contracting the vessels through the vaso-motor system, as we witness in the blush of shame and the pallor of fear, but also directly on the organic elements of the parts through the nerves, which, as the latest researches seem to show, end in them sometimes by continuity of substance. To me it seems not unreasonable to suppose that the mind may stamp its tone, if not its very features, on the individual elements of the body, inspiring them, with hope and energy,or inflicting them with despair and feebleness."

Darwin has told of the effect of grief upon the physical functioning, particularly upon the circulation. Homesickness is mentioned as apt to derange the proper functioning of the body. Good news will promote digestion; bad news will retard it. A disgusting sight will cause nausea.

Sir Samuel Baker says: "Any severe grief or anger is almost certain to be succeeded by fever in certain parts of Africa."

SUGGESTIVE HEALING

Sir B. W. Richardson says: "Diabetes from sudden mental shock is a true, pure type of a physical malady of mental origin".

Sir George Paget says: "In many cases I have seen reasons for believing that cancer has its origin in prolonged anxiety. "

Murchison says : "I have been surprised how often patients with primary cancer of the liver have traced the cause of this illness to protracted grief or anxiety. The cases have been far too numerous to be accounted for as mere coincidences."

Numerous medical authorities report that cases of cancer especially of uterine cancer or cancer of the breast have their origin in mental anxiety. And other report cases of jaundice arising from the same cause. Other attribute anaemia to mental shock and worry.

Sir B. W. Richardson says: "Eruptions on the skin will follow excessive mental strain. In all of these and in

cancer epilepsy and mania from mental causes there is a predisposition. It is remarkable how little the question of physical disease from mental influences has been studied. "

Prof. Elmer Gates says: "My experiments show that irascible malevolent and depressing emotions generate in the system injurious compounds some of which, are extremely poisonous, also that agreeable happy emotions generate chemical compounds of nutritious value, which stimulate the cells to manufacture energy."

Prof. 'Tuke, in his book, "The Influence of the Mind upon the Body," cites numerous cases of disease caused by fear, worry or fright, the principal ones being as follows : insanity, idiocy, paralysis of various muscles and organs, pro- fuse perspiration, cholerine, jaundice, turning the hair grey, baldness, decay of the teeth, nervous shock followed by fatal anaemia, uterine troubles, skin diseases, erysipelas, eczema, etc. The same authority remarks upon the effect of fear in the spread of diseases, particularly contagious diseases. Cholera epidemics are believed to have been largely due to the fear of the people in former times.

Prof. Mosso claims that fear causes St. Vitus' dance, scurvy, epilepsy, etc. Many writers have gone so far as toclaim that Fear, in some form or degree was at the bottom of all physical complaints or diseases, directly or indirectly, and making allowance for over-claim, it looks as if there was much truth in the statement.

SUGGESTIVE HEALING

In view of the preceding, it would appear that any method of relieving or driving away Fear, would have a great effect in the curing of disease. And such is the case. Nearly all forms of Psychic Healing create a new mental atmosphere and condition in the patient. Fear is replaced by Confidence, Courage, Fearlessness, Hope, and the physical results follow. The axiom of Suggestive Therapeutics is "Thought takes form in Action" and "As a Man thinketh in his heart, so is he."

But not only may the entire system be benefited by general suggestion, but particular organs may be strengthened,and caused to again function properly, by well directed Suggestions. The Instinctive Mind takes up the suggestions passed on to it, and they "take form in action." The very cells of the body respond to Suggestion through the Instinctive Mind. And every part, organ, nerve, and cell may be strengthened and stimulated into proper action in this way.

The practice of Suggestive Therapeutics has proven quite popular among physicians of late years, and is destined under one form or another to rapidly increase in popular favor in the future. Many physicians give what are called "masked suggestions" by which is meant Suggestions given in connection with some material remedy, the patient being told positively that the drag or treatment will do "thus and so," and the suggestion being repeated in different forms, until the mind of the patient confidently expects the stated results, and the "Thought takes form in action. " No matter how the Suggestion is given it is still Suggestion.

In the succeeding chapters we shall give special directions regarding this form of treatment, which will give one a better working knowledge than a bookfull of mere general remarks. Study them carefully.

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