The Law of Psychic Phenomena: A working hypothesis for the systematic study of hypnotism, spiritism, mental therapeutics, etc.Hudson, Thomson Jay
Philosophy
The Law of Psychic Phenomena: A working hypothesis for the systematic study of hypnotism, spiritism, mental therapeutics, etc.
Hudson, Thomson Jay
Parapsychology
The man or woman whose heart is pure, in whom the principles of
virtue and morality are innate, is in no danger of being corrupted by
the exercise of mediumistic power. The auto-suggestions of such are
constantly on the side of virtue, and a corrupt communication could not
emanate from such a source. But to the young, whose characters are not
formed, and to those whose notions of morality are loose, the dangers
of mediumship are appalling.
I have felt obliged to draw my illustrations from spirit mediums for
the reason that mediumship is the form which subjective activity takes
in the Western world. Other forms, however, are being introduced from
the Orient, and may soon become common in this country. The Western
world is threatened with a revival of the arts of the magician, the
conjurer, and the wizard. It may be true, and doubtless is, that the
Eastern adepts know more of the practice of subjective arts than is
dreamed of by spiritists. The fact that they denounce as dangerous to
health, morals, and sanity the practice of mediumship, is a hopeful
sign. That they are aware that the power which controls the medium
emanates from himself, is demonstrative of their advancement in
practical knowledge of the subject. But that they are reliable guides
to the safe exercise of subjective power has not been demonstrated. It
is certain that they are yet ignorant of the fundamental principles
which underlie the science of the soul, for they have yet to learn the
law of suggestion, and to appreciate the subtle _rôle_ which that power
plays in every psychic phenomenon. Their whole system of spiritual
philosophy has been built up in ignorance of that law, and hence they
are necessarily subject to the same delusions, arising from the same
sources of error, that have misguided all mankind, in all the ages of
the world, prior to the discovery of that law. They believe in their
power to communicate with the spirits of another world, precisely the
same as do the modern spiritists. The foundation of their belief is the
same; namely, psychic phenomena produced by themselves, in ignorance
of the fundamental laws which govern it. The only difference resides
in the fact that the Orientalists have the power to produce a greater
variety of startling phenomena, and hence are in possession of greater
facilities for deceiving themselves. No advantage, therefore, can be
gained by studying their philosophy or practising their arts, except as
a means of gaining general information or for purposes of scientific
experiment; and the warning against indulging in the indiscriminate
practice of mediumship holds good against the too frequent exercise
of subjective power in any direction, or for any purpose save that of
scientific investigation or healing the sick.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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