The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1908-12-13


or that he has not a reason for this
declaration. If he affirms that he has a
reason therefor he must explain either
that he bases this declaration upon a |
mere hope or that he rests upon the
understanding OF the spiritual facts Of /
being and the unreaiity Of paralysis.
He declares, u divert her mind, place
my hand on the suffering part to
heighten the impression that something
is about to be done for her. and [ con-
fidently inform her that the pain is d-
minishing, that it is going down by
degrees. and that in given time, five
minutes, it will have disappeared"
Again we ask. what assurance has he
that the pain will disappear? Upon
what ground does he confidently in
form the patient. that the pain Is d.
minishing and will disappear? Why
will the pain have disappeared? Has
pain always disappeared under such
treatment? Statistics of results which
DR.. worcester has offered to the public
indicate that a large percentage of
those treated were mot perceptibly in
hueneed" How does he know that this
patient will not be one of those not to
be Influenced? How does he know that
he is arguing the truth? TO declare
something as truth which one does not
know to be true and probably does not
even believe TO be true is not Chris
tian practice.
1t is certainly very plain that the re-
suits just mentioned are effected wholly
by the will Of the operator, and in con-
trast to such practice it may be well TO
/ note that every effort of the Christian
Scientist is a plea in behalf of the ON
impotence of God, good. The Christian
Scientist pleads only that the divine
viii may "be done" and leaves the con-
sequences to God.
AUTO SUGGESTION
When the Christian looks away from
earth to his infinite heavenly Father as
Life. Truth. Love. and in this contem
plation loses his pain, it is no more
proper to say that this has occurred
/ through suggestion than to de-
clare that when the darkness is de-
stroyed by the light the result has been
accomplished through auto-suggestion.
1t seems though the effort to explain
all results upon human basis and to
credit oneself or the human mind with
I a power to heal is TO leave God out and
! TO drift into infidelity and atheism.
MODUS oPERANDI OF SUGGESTION
/ We are indebted to Mr.. Rollin Lynde
/ Hart for some definite formulate used in
/ the psychological" treatment of in
somnia. In a magazine article published
In December 1907, Mr.. Hart quoted a
! formula of treatment and certain ideas
concerning the essentials of health
/ which he credited to DR.. Worcester.
He says. for instance. here is DR..
/ Worcester's mental cure for insomnia
say to yourself. / am going to sleep
am drowsy. drowsy. l cannot keep
awake, / am drunk with sleep" This
Mr.. Hart designates as the fine and
beneficent art OF fooling the body into
good behavior"
In Isaiah 29:9 occurs the following
rebuke: They are drunken. but not
with wine: they stagger, but not with
strong drink Is this the sort of sleep
that our critic proposes to produce?
1 Does he contend that Jesus and his
/ Apostles employed this kind Of remedy
for the unrest of the world? Does he
offer this sort Of remedy as a substi-
tute for that of the Master?
There is another class of individuals,
who seem to think there is joy in
drunkenness. and yet. who that is sober
Will deny that the hilarity of the drunk
en- is based upon pure Imagination?
Mr.. Hart declares it is not essential
that the reason shall be put to sleep
in order to render the sub conscious
self responsible to suggestion, and yet
he affirms that the patient must be
fooled" Such advice is open to no
other Interpretation than that he is
made to lose his senses in that he is
fooled" which means of course that
If very great results are to be forth
coming he must be fooled" TO very
great degree To ''fool'' means to de-
ceive. to cheat, to trick, 10 dupe. tc
delude, TO impose upon. to. hoodwinlx
We mention these points for the pur-
pose of showing what Mr. Hart. who
, decries Christian Science as bit OF
nonsense" and ''moonshine," has to Of
/ fer in it's stead what he recommends
/. as a latter day presentation of the
method by which Jesus and the apos-
ties healed the sick, or as a substitute
therefor.
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE TREATMENT
| AS a treatment for insomnia the
y
| helps his patient to be conscious (not
| unconscious) of Gods ever presence
4 helps him to realize that this divine
D presence brings constant peace. har-
mony and rest, and that the discord
e and troubles of earth which would in
: terfere with his harmony, can no NOR,
: affect the reality of his being than TIL,
Y clouds can blot out the sun. With thi
: simple truth. the fear of the patient Il
destroyed; he becomes calm and peace
: full and is at rest, not because he hal
e been fooled" but because the trutl
s has been whispered into his conscious
e ness and the error which prevented hi
d sleeping has been destroyed. TIL
: Psalmist says: Il will both lay ms
: down in peace and sleep; for Thou
: Lord, only makest me dwell in safety
The distinction between the argu
ments of the Christian Scientist am
: those offered by Our critic is that thos