The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-03-12


Psychology is the science that deals
with the mind, its laws and forces In
pursuing their investigations the psy-
biologists have discovered that GER
tain mental forces have . decided in
fluence over the body. BY systematic
ing these forces they established the
science Of psychotherapy. Psychother-
apy is q method of healing disease by
influencing the mental life, and by
utilizing mental forces.
Back of the body. using it as it's in
strument of transmission and ex-
preston, is a free, self-conscious,
spiritual personality. This is popular
~ known as the soul or mind This
mind. though a unity. doubtless, at
bottom, acts as IL 1t were dual. 1t may
be compared with an iceberg, about
one-eighth Of which stands above the
level of the water in the light of day,
while the vaster bulk Of it lies In the
depths and darkness beneath. Only a
fraction of the entire mind lies in the
light of consciousness; the greater
part stretches down into the darkness
of Inconsistencies. With the consci-
GUS mind We represent images to our
selves. we reason and think" 1t is
controlled by the law of induction and
is obliged to laboriously arrive at its
conclusions by taking many particu-
lars into consideration. The sub-con-
scious mind, in contradistinction, is
that part of our being which lies be-
Inv he laval nf 0naN}0Nannca II
does not depend on the five senses for
it's information but uses intuition. 1t
possesses many peculiar and remark
able powers which We have but re-
Gently discovered. 1t is the subcon-
scious which keeps the blood flowing.
the lungs functioning and the entire
body alive while we sleep. For the
purposes of psythotherapy its most
important characteristic is that 1t has
charge and control of the functions, or
gans and conditions Of the body.
The subconscious mind is amenable
to control by suggestion. Although We
cannot master it entirely by such
means, We can to a sufficient extent to
make psychotherapy practical. Sug-
gestion must not be confused with YER
bal persuasion; this latter appeals to
the conscious mind by means of logic
and argument, while suggestion ap-
peals to the subconscious mind and
commands rather than persuades. The
subconscious mind, if it can be made
to accept a suggestion, does not ask
that it be reasonable but blindly car
ries it out with vigorous logic down to
the least detail. A hypnotized person
is one who is completely under the
control of suggestion. While one is
in such a condition the subconscious
mind will accept any suggestion how.
ever absurd, providing it does not vio-
late the moral sensibilities. Many dis
eases and abnormalities of character
are caused by habitual self-suggestion.
These suggestions may be very un-
reasonable and absurd, but the sub
conscious cares not for reasonable
ness.
1t is this power of suggestion over
the subconscious that ia used in psy-
chotherapy. Since the subconscious
controls the organs and functions of
the body and since we can largely con-
troll it by suggestion, therefore We can
very often heal our own diseases.
AS yet it has been found impossible
to cure organic diseases by suggestion.
Wherever the structure of an organ
has been broken down or destroyed,