The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-01-29

- "S " - ~.Dt 49,
only overlap 70 y ANAL sxtsnk That 10 q
question which Mr. Carpenter docs not at
tempt to discuss. He would simply draw at
tsntion to the fact hat Western ecienee
10 contemplating the possibility OF the
existence In man Of a. conscious
ness. OF some kind other than that
with whose working We are famiiiar. It's
well known that many actions n processes
OF the body. as for example. the process Of
swallowing. are attended by distinct personal
consciousness. It is equally we'll known That
many other actions and processes are quite
nnperceived By the same. It might then seem
reasonable to suppose that these latter. at
any ratio. were purely mechanical. automatic.
and devoid OF any mental substrata. But the
later Developments OF bypnotism In tho West
have ~shown-what Is we'll known to the In.
dian fakirs-that under certain conditions
consciousness OF the internal actions and
processes OF the body can be obtained. and
not only 90, but consciousness Of events TAX
ing place at q distance from tho body and
without the ordinary means OF communica-
tion. We moderns. indeed. while we
have dominated nature and external re-
suits IN the most extraordinary way
through our mechanical and other sciences,
have neglected tho other field OF mas
terry over our internal mechanism. We
pride ourselves on our athletic ieats. but some
of the performances Of the Indian fakfrs In the
way OF mastery over the internal processes OF
the body. Processes which In ordinary cases
have lonG ago lapsed into the region Of the In
voluntary and upconscioua-such a.. holding
the breath over enormous periods. or revers-
ing tho peristaltic action OF tho alimentary
canal throughout its entire length-are SO as
tonishihg that, for the most part. tho report OF
them only excites incredulity. and Western
people can hardly believe what. nevertheless.
Mr.. Carpenter takes to be a fact. that those
physiological powers have been practised till
they are almost reduced to . science.
VI.
II We are unwilling to believe in such internal
mastery over the body. we are almost equally
unaccustomed to the idea Of mastery over onr
W inner thoughts and feelings. That q man
should be q prey to any thought that chances
to a possession OF his mind is among us
commonly assumed as unavoidable. 1t MAY
be- q matter OF regret that he should be kept
awake all night from anxiety as to the issue Of
a lawsuit on the morrow. but that he should
have the power Of determining whether he DO
kept awake or not seems an dxtravagant de-
mand. The image OF an impending calamity
Is no doubt odious. but its very odiousness.
90 we are wont to say. makes It haunt the
min all the more pertinaciously and 1t 10
useless to try to expel It.
Yet. as Mr.. CARPENTER points out. this Is an
absurd position for man. tho heir OF all the ages.
to BIO in-hag-ridden by the limsy creatures OF
his own brain. II a pebble In our boot tor
ments us We eXpel 1t. We take of the boot
and shake 1t out. But according to the Hindu
sages. when once the matter Is fairly UNDER
stood. it Is Just MS easy to expel IN intrudine
and obnoxious thought from tho mind. Until
a 80 m an =, IL Ahsa ~ tur 4n,a o. Ill ul1rrk
his ascendancy over nature. He is a mere
slave and a prey to the bat-winged phantoms
fit through the corridors Of his own brain.
Yet the weary and careworn faces that one
meets BY thousands. even among the afluent
OF civilization. testify only too clearly
how seldom this mastery Is obtained in the
Western world, how rare indeed to meet O
man! How common rather to discover q
creature bounded on by tyrant thoughts. or
cares. or desires. covering. wihcing I'M
der the lash. or perchancs priding HIM
self on running merrily In obedience
to a driver that rattles tho reins
and persusdes him that he IL free. It Is one
Of the foremost doctrines OF the Gnanis that
the OF expelling thoughts. or. II need be.
OF killing them dead on the spot. must be at
tanned. Naturally the art requires practice:
but. like other arts, when once attained. there
s,. q. =. 49,. ANH w
s,sa 20 49, 49,. ptue ' hay, IN
= ~ S"". " on.y Oes,ns Nneh
s,s.a,. -, ,a;nn u"i., ~. Uor ,
WISE .ns.euo VI oenns 1uieu W inai'iuuai
oua m.,.."ho ~ ~ tneir ~
~ =" s,sa.. "n, snne Wv I"paI..y
= = : ~. III III "nu uesp"o.m II nlhplo'
'. W. e."a.S" ouN .n L,s iucs-
~ S ~ .,Ian : .l' n'inis.e.-"
~ 80. "s ~ ~ s,a"a to"-
pared VIII what IL was before thnt Its former
condition may Wei appear almost antenatal.
II Is also 10 be noted that II you can XIII q
thought dead Tor the time being. you can do
else with It that you please. There
lore us that TINS 10 SO valuable. Not
My does IL iree n man from mental torment
which Is nine-tenths. at least. OF the torment
Of liie'. but it gives him a concentrated powor
Of handling mental work absolutely unknown
to MIN before Ihe two things are correlative
70 each other. rms Is one OF the principles OF
.nanam or tho divine knowledge. While at
work your thought Is to be absolutely concen-
rated In II. unoistracted by anything whatever
to the matter in hand-pOundlpg