New-York tribune., 1886-07-12
DDNjk1NI IDEAS.

woman in Boston who became lHSdhc 'hi""o'
the study of Theosophy. A number OF com
mentators on this story have signalized ther
relationship TO the sheep of Panurge by observe
inc in an owlish way that the study OF lheo-
sophy is particularly calculated to produce men
tal alteration. 1t shows how little originality
there is in the world that this mouldy Old pit
Of rubbish should be made to do duty so often
Every one has heard precisely the same thinS
sad of SpirituaiM, Molmonism, Mlnd-Cme or
Whatever the novelty in vogue may be. There
j. no doubt lust so much of truth Ill 1t that
weak minds are liable to he thrown off their
balance bv any subject which cXcitcs and deeply
interests them. There is no doubt that brood
inc on religious subjects every year sends
some DOOR. inlirm creatures to the insane asylum :;
but even the shceO Of Panurge do not venture
to say that religion is specially calculated To
drive people mad: When the brain is already
cnfcebled by disease or inherited tendency to
insanity. almost anything sufhces to destroy the
balance. but there is nothing i'll the study OF
Theosophy per sc Of nature to foster Dram
disease
The real truth is that III modern society there
exists n large class Of impeItectly developed
or morbidy affected minds, whose owners
hover all their lives between what Is called
cccontIicty and what is called madness. Onc
of the special weaknesses to which these people
are liable is the subsection to dominant IDEAS
Sanity consists in the perfect coordination OF
the rl,vs;cal organism of mind. When this ma
chinely works normally well every subject con-
sidered is given rs due significance and weight.
" hen moiiid cerebral conditions exist there Is
danger flat any subject which impresses itself in
a special way upon the mind will evolve dom
inant ideas. and that these, given fcycish inn
pctn,, will upset the intelligence hatever
tends to. centre the thoughts upon sell Is Pc
culiaily dangerous i'll this state OF mutaDie
eGuilibrium, and that is why meditation upon
IcligiOn. or upon the steiner and more startling
among theological dogmas produces, or for
mcrly produced, 80 much mental arrangements
II is however absurd to imply in any such case
that the subject is responsible for the outcome
A curton may so gorge himself with absolute
" pure and wholesome food aS to produce dis
case. but we DO not think of blaming the fool
for the result Given weak brain, by inhcri-
t,ncc or otherwise and it is always liable to
bItak down under some excitement
Modern civilization undoubtedly tends to en-
large the area peoplcd by these feeble mental-
tiles. Ill-assoitcd marriages. the excessive Use
Of stimulantS, the nervous affections developed
through feveI>h business habits the thousand
eXcitements which 90 to make up lIlc nowadays
each and all have their effect i'll producing the
class vulgaIly known as "cTanks' Often the
nearest relatives OF persons who develop pos
five mania are so eccentric as to be perhaps
net much more responsible for their actions
And these are just the kind of people most apt
to seek out new lines of thought and then To
succumb to the pressure In proportion aS the
brain is weak or undevelOpcd the conccntra-
ton of thought upon self appears to increase.
Fpot>m marks the whole category of Cccen-
tlicities that irhabit the bordeI-land between
sanity and snania, and wien the formerly sound
II ind calls into decay it, decline is shown by
rcycrsion to this scmi-birbaious stage of cVolu-
ton. Dominant ideas, and IDEAS about the
ego. always, or nearly always, 20 with feeble
b,nin-power. This foim of insane soliishncS,,
if is to he said, is found much more frequently
in men than in women. Woman is naturally
altuistc. Concern for others and sacrifice oI
her own interests and pleasures, comes rs Il rnat-
ter of course to her, while men are often com
pietcly and dismStingly absorbed in thcm>,lve,
The ialf mad people, however. are Away with
u.s. and it is they WHO furnish the cases which
the sheep of Panurge hasten 10 utilize as proof
that this or that subject sturdy is my>tcIi-
ousy calculated TO promote insanity.