Mind and Body; or, Mental States and Physical ConditionsAtkinson, William Walker
Science
Mind and Body; or, Mental States and Physical Conditions
Atkinson, William Walker
Mental suggestion
By many mental healers the term "Suggestion" is applied only to the
particular method of applying Suggestion employed by physicians
and others who practice under the general theories of Suggestive
Therapeutics, and the first mentioned class deny that they use
Suggestion because, as they say, they do not use the methods of the
practitioners of Suggestive Therapeutics, and make their cures by
"metaphysical" or "spiritual" means, or according to some creed or
metaphysical theory which, accepted, works the cure. We think that
the unprejudiced reader who has followed us this far will have seen
that these metaphysical theories, creeds, and special dogmas are
simply the outward mask of Suggestion. These healers simply supply a
form of Suggestion which is acceptable to the patient because of his
temperament, training, etc., and the healing process operates along the
lines of the "faith cure."
The fact that healers of entirely opposite theories and doctrines
manage to make cures in about the same proportion and in about the same
time, would seem to prove that the theories or dogmas have but little
to do with the real work of healing. Whatever form of Suggestion is
most acceptable to the patient, will best perform the healing work
in that particular case. This will also serve to explain why some
patients failing to obtain relief from one school of mental healing
often are cured by healers of another school, and _vice versa_. Some
need Suggestion couched in the mystical terms of some of the cults;
others need it garbed in religious drapings, while others prefer some
vague metaphysical theory which seems to explain the phenomena. Others
still are repelled by any of the above forms, but respond readily to
the Suggestion of a physician administering "straight" suggestive
treatment, without any religious, metaphysical, or mystical disguise.
In all of these cases the real healing work is done by the Subconscious
Mind of the patient himself, the various forms of Suggestion serving
merely to awaken and rouse into activity the latent forces of nature.
We invite your consideration of the following forms of "treatment" for
various disorders, as given by some of the "Divine Scientists" and
other metaphysical and semi-religious organizations and cults. As you
read them, try to discover the Suggestive germ so nicely surrounded
by the sugar-coating--the Suggestive pill so cleverly concealed by the
"metaphysical" raisin.
From a journal published in Chicago several years ago, called
"Universal Truth," the following "treatments" were clipped:
A correspondent who asked for a "treatment" adapted to the cure of
_nervousness_, is instructed to use the following formula, which must
be "repeated over and over":
"_I am warmed and fed and clothed and healed by Divine Love._"
Another correspondent is given the following formula for the cure of
sore feet, the affirmation to be made frequently:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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