The morning call., 1893-01-07
Your Thoughts Create,
Says Mrs. Besant.
HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM.
The Eloquent Theosophicaf Lecturer
Explains Some Curious Phenomena
Upon a Clearly Stated Theory.


tons.
"These are physical. astral and mental.
.In all of these as a basis OF operations
the breath of life can work, directed by the
will.
"The operator throws thought upon the
astral plane where 10 the form Of matrix
it takes UP astral matter, which is nodded
into the form desired. assimilating the ele-
ments required. as plants assimlate ee-
ments for growth.
ST plants can do II by their blind uncon-
scous force how much more the mighty
potential will.
"The astral creation thus formed can be
dealt with in the same way as the physical
creation"
The eloquent speakers theme was "Hyp-
notism and Mesmerism in the Light OF
Theosophy."
Between the two forces, or manifesto
tons. so much before the public mind ms
partaking of the stock-in-.rade OF the mys-
tic and the charlatan, Mrs. Besant drew
clear and definite distinction.
She warned her breathess listeners
against the hypnoiist and exalted the wise
use of mesmerism.
With wonderful attractiveness she
strii ped off SONS OF the wells from around
common place ''phenomena" and displayed
them as illustrations of the natural working
Of the theory of mind operating mind,
already quoted.
"Hypnotism." she said. works from the
physical plane to the astral, up; mesmerism
works from the astral to the physical,
down.
"Hypnotism is produced by suggestion
introduced into the mind by the will. By
this means strong minds dominate weaker
organisms and recent instances In Paris de-
monstrate that crimes, even murder, may
be so suggested.
Philosophy condemns such suggestions
as Legitimate and dangerous. The sug
gestion is seed IN the mind and can never
be entirely eradieated No man has right
TO enter another mans mind 10 plant
seed over whose poisoning he has no con-
troll.
"Rypnotism can only be worked upon
protracted nervous system; fatigue of the
nerves is produced by mechanical means,
such as the effect OF staring at reflector,
whereby vibration is enabled to escape
through the custodian physical to the men-
tai plane.
1t is dangerous. The nerves become
shattered by submission and the subject be-
comes an automatom, victim of hypercrnel
mental yiylseetion.
Beware of hypnotic suggestion. Guard
yourself against Its unconscious entrance
by not allowing yourself to drift in thought
Don't 60 through the world half asleep.
as most OF you do. The empty mind is the
play ground of the hypnotist. Don't dream,
but think; then your mind will be positive
to speak in terms of electricity, and you
will pass through life unscathed by This In
reference.
ION the other hand. IL a man can control
mesmerism. he can use 1t for mighty ends
Used ignorantly, il will cause terrible dis
order and death.
by Its means you can harmonic the
evils caused by actual discord. or you can
impart vitality.
~ knew a case OF young girl who was
rapidly growing blind, upon whose falling
visual nerves this vitalizing fluid was
directed. with the result that her sight was
perfectly restored. This was effected by
no domination Of her mind. but by wise use
Of the knowledge OF communicating yibra-
ton.
"Mesmerism explained clears away the
mist of miracles, for miracle is only the
label placed upon facts whose origin is un-
known.
What is the meaning of that curious hys-
terical contagion which sometimes sets a
whole ward of patients giggling and Sob
bing?
"What is a so-caIled panic?
'What is the magic communicating thrill
OF eloQGenee?
What were the marvels wrought by the
English witches. the stgmata produced on
the bodies of Catholic nuns, the reproduc-
tion of actual LESSONS, as burns, on the per-
son2
"Tbese. together with the natural atirac.
ton felt in eneonnterng a stranger, are
nothing but the effects produced by the
vibrations OF the astral. com municated by
the ether between the bodies affected.
Take the instance of the stigmata of the
bleeding hands and feet produced on the
conyentual nun. This is by the ignorant
condemned as fraud; not so is it in the
light of explained suggestion.
The nun secluded from the world was
thrown into peculiarly morbid nervous
condition, approaching ecstasy. kneeling
hourly before the crucix her will dominated
physical control and produced the effects
described She hypnotzed herself
II myself have been made Invisible to
one person. On that occasion | took a
handkerchief from his pocket and he could
only see the linen as II floating through the
air. i held a card behind me and he read
its face value through my body. proving
that matter is no barrier to the mental eye.
the mind is ever creating immortal
images on the thought world. The mind is
the creator OF form. and the whole universe
is only the naturalization of thought.
Think pobiy and strongly. you Ameri-
cans, for your thought-images are creating
the America OF the future.
what are your Ideals?
Are they all of heipfuIness which will
ennoble America wien you and are dead.
aud make her great-not in the greatness of
her treasury, but in nobility OF character?
Get rid OF shoddy ideas, the worship OF
wealth, social ambition, and the idea that
life is nothing more than wheel of pleasure
and business.
Every man and woman is torchbearer,
although the light may be shrOuded by de-
sire and indulgence. Purify the fame and
the world viii be iIlumined with wondrous
splendor.
I'm mans own hand is mans own des-
tiny, and none can quench the fame which
love and justice enkindle in mans own
breast"
Speaking generally, Mrs. Besant claimed
that hypnotism and mesmersm, which are
now admitted as proven facts after much
opposition. demonstrate the exsteace of
super sensual planes in the universe They
prove that man does not depend on body
alone.
Since the days of the .ostracism OF Para
CELSIUS mesmerism or Brightism or hypno-
tism have been seoffed at until the recent
experiments of Rene, Bnet, Charcot,
Colonel Rush and others.
1t was Colonel Rush who in Paris lately
published the results Of his experiments
proving the DECENTRALIZATION Of sensation"
He hypnoized person and found him in
sensible to pinches, pin thrusts, etc, and
apparently dead. except to delicate instru-
ments.
Then he piiched the air a few inches
away from the body and found that the su D.
ject was thereby affected aud since then
means had been found to transfer sensation
to foreign bodies, on one occasion to glass
of water. This belonged to the class of ex-
periments which she characterized as dam
gerous and Legitimate. Legitimate mes
merism, she claimed. on the other hand, is
operated by force Of the will, which CON-
pels the physical molecules to obey the as
trail atoms.
Mrs. Besant has been prevailed upon to
prolong her stay in the city and give an
extra lecture on her favorite subject, en-
titled "ReiDcarnation-Its Evidences" 1t
will be gwen in Metropolitan Temple this
evening and will be her last appearance
here, as she leaves for Los Angeles Sunday
morning, where she lectures Monday night.
The receipts for the three nights already
given are said to be in excess OF any drawn