The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-04-08
Ncyv Philosophy Of Health.
Copyrighted, 1907. by II. b. B.)

N>~Pyfikhtce, icsrs Wy N. ID. b'i
That mental healing Is applicable to all
uiseascs the public are slow 10 believe,
yvt the very nature of Its basis involves
.hat supposition The force called into
| action Is tho same that must always
heal any infirmity II IL Is healed at all.
medical practitioners seek by artificial ex-
citcinent 10 draw the recuporatiye power
| 10 the afflicted part or oragn, but often
they too recognize the fact that they must
| build up the general health" IN order
10 eifectually deal with local trouble.
| When splinter has become iGbeddcd
In the finger, no artificial encouragement
| is needed 20 mako the natural forces con-
| centratc their energy upon the task of
forcing out the offending substance. When
something injurious has bcoen eaten,
these natural forces begin their work
| upon stomach and bowels, In an effort
| 10 ria the system of things that 10 cannot
absorb When broken bone has been
set nothing is needed but 20 wait for ma
lure 10 heal IT, The vital force alway
goes where IL Is most needed il il Is given
suillcient encouragement, on rather, II IL
Is allowed TO have Its way. Nothing but
our unDolief or our persistence in wrong
doing can interfere with this restorative
process. Actual experience also justifies
the 1lrm belief that all forms of disease
can be healed by physic power IL Is
sometimes said that the mistakes Of
healers are due TO er-confidcnce, but
thls cannot be true since confidence Is
the one Indispensable requisite to success.
~ Is rather mistaken application of
tDe principle that is tho cause of failure.
10 tell patient that nc must give up
an soothing applications and trust 10
idlth, when he does not possess any faith,
II obviously 10 take away his crutch
before he can walk, and is doubtless re-
sponslDle Tor many sad catastrophcs 1t
tIst
sclousiy, and that the healer's business il
10 cultivate IL, but this can just as well
be done gradually and without mental
shock or danger of the relapses that may
come from going too fast.
1T is for this reason that the scientific
study OF the subject and great mental
acuteness on the part of the healer are
desirable, not because the principle
cannot be applied without these, but be-
cause the temperament of the patient Is SO
important factor TO be considered and
because his present beliefs must hold him
for time making it impossible for him
20 do as the healer would like to have
him. 1t is this careful and scientific
spirit that gives to mental healing its ad-
vantage over the many other methods of
cure which apply the same principle under
different names
Faith Is the prime essential i'm all these
methods, and at a first glance ID appears
NSiy tIlut bllt same cllcCtS 1OllOW
no matter upon what the faith Is based.
Whether one trusts in the bones Of
martyred saint, In the atonement of
Christ, or even in the reputation of an
Individual healer, the results are still the
same. The explanation Of this apparent
anomaly Is, however not far to seek 1t
Is simply this, that they misunderstood
themselves for after all they are all dee
pending in reality on the one Great
Power mysterious something that they
regard with reverent trust and confidence
Strange how little knowledge God re-
quircs in those who come TO Him for
help. No matter how unintelligent or
extravagant the belief, If faith is there,
the cure will follow. Mental science,
Christian science and the hypnotic method
in use in France are the only systens
that do not demand faith at the-otttset
This Is because they depend upon develop
ing faith by suggestion, and make use of
its effects before the patient himself is
conscious that he possesses IL. These
methods therefore avoid the dangers
attendant upon over excitement and the
possible reactions after great religious
exaltation.
The only obstacle to the perfect working
OF the law in question Is, as has been said,
unbelief, either in the patient or in those
around him, or possibly in the would be
healer A thoroughly skillful healer must
dence in the power he invokes, but ability
to read the character and thoughts of his
patient that he may influence him
in the direction of his greatest need. He
must also be able to influence all persons
who come in daily contact with the
teract all bis beneficent suggestions
This seems Ike saying that tho healer
must have almost superhuman powers vet
as matter of fact, all who successfully
employ these methods do possess such
powers, while I'm some they are developed
TO most astonishing degree.
For anyone to say, This treatment may
help Others, but it cannot help me, for i
have tried 1t, is something like saying,
Doctors can do me no good, for have
tried n doctor" Or it Is like snyinv. "The
law of gravitation applies know, to
most things, but yondor balloon Is GER
tainly an exception" This philosophy
of health is not merely "A new kind of
medicine that may help one and injured
another; 1t reaches beneath all external
conditions and deals with the roots of all
physical troubles The law H. M universal
as the law OF gravitaton. We all know
that the reason balloon remains sus-
pended in the air is not because it has no
weight, nor even because the gas 1t con-
tains has no weight, but because the air
has more. If one has failed to be cured by
prayer, by Christian science or by mental
healing, that only proves that something
counteracted the working of the universal
law. IL is by no means to bc inferred that
the difficulty must remain n mystery; il
one healer has not fathomed ii, perhaps
another might or perhaps one might ones
self discover III time where the trouble
lay. A bulleu imbcddcd in the flesh. or n
broken bone, might bc "A constant source
of irritation To- keep the flesh above IL
from being healed. Evil thoughts or
certain rigdity, falsely called self control,
can utterly prevent the healing thoughts
Of trust and confidence from taking root.
Doubtless as the science progresses healers
Will become more expert In diagnosing
mental conditions ana more wise i'm their
modes Of procedure. Confidence also will
be easier To win when tho public become
more accustomed To thinking of this
science as "a great principle rather than as
"a strange manifestation 10 be neither |
analyzed nor counted upon with GER
tainty.
Jesus Christ was the Great Healer Ii !
Is therefore fitting that we should look to |
His instructions given 10 His disciples for |
light on this matter At one time the |