PRACTICAL
LESSON FOR SUBJECT AND OPERATOR
All appliances and devices to produce
the mesmeric state, as mirrors, glass globes, etc., are useless except
as they serve as temporary means of
fixing the attention. The set forms of holding the hands of the subject,
and direction of passes are of
no value. Gently moving the hands in front of the forehead, often
assists. As every individual is a center of influence there can be no
portion of that sphere of influence stronger than another. This at once
eliminates a greater portion of so-called instructions which have served
to bring mesmerism, in the hands of charlatans, into disrepute, and make
it a butt of ridicule.
The subject should be seated in a
reclining position, it perfect ease and rest. There should be certainty
that there will be no interruption, and nothing to produce uneasiness or
disquiet. The eyes may be directed to a light, or into a glass of water,
any bright object, the attention fixed undivided thereon, but it is
better to close the eyes at first, and shutting out all external
objects, give undivided thought to some one thing it is desired to know.
The office of the operator is to speak quietly and
continuously of this intention, so as
to assist the subject in maintaining the
direction of his thoughts. A divided
attention is the most difficult object to
overcome. Some persons have the
ability of concentration to such a degree that they are able to at once
enter this state, while others acquire it only by long practice. Mental
excitement, nervousness, unexpected
sounds, are prohibitive, while gentle
music is helpful.
The operator leads the mind of the
subject to such scenes, persons or thoughts as he desires, and within
certain limits has control. The subject, however, in the purely mesmeric
state, can only exceed his own
knowledge, by that which he gains from the mesmerizer. He will pass into
a higher state when his
spiritual perception is awakened, and then it is
clairvoyance, which is distinct from the mesmeric, although its
extension.
The position of operator is an
exceedingly delicate one, and those who desire to enter this state
should be careful in selection. They should and must have perfect
confidence in the one of their choice, or they cannot expect
satisfactory results.
A subject entering this state, alone,
usually becomes oblivious, and on awakening has no recollection of
anything which has occurred and cannot therefore distinguish it from
ordinary sleep, and there is danger of its simulating "sleep walking,"
or the state may continue for a much longer time than is desirable. It
is thus almost essential at first to have a trusted attendant, or
operator. Often the firm belief that such attendant has the
power to induce the state, brings about the fulfillment.
THERE MUST BE
SIMILARITY
between the subject and operator to
give perfect control, and even with the
strongest bonds of sympathy existing,
the operator cannot compel obedience against the will. It is this fact
which places a firm barrier against the abuse of the control, and
declares those who claim that they can give instructions enabling any
one to control whoever they please, as charlatans. It is true that this
influence may be exerted by salesmen, and rascals generally, but it must
be noted that the first step they take in compassing their schemes, is
to gain the confidence and consent of their victims. If their victims
understand the subject, they will be guarded
against falling into the consenting
mood, and be surrounded by a repellant
sphere. Hence this knowledge is quite
as valuable to those who are to be
influenced, as those who expect a
harvest by practicing on their weakness.
The attendant should, in the
beginning, always suggest that the subject awake at a certain time, as
in an hour, and however slightly this may be given, there will be no
failure of a return to consciousness. If this has not been done, the
attention of the subject should be gained, and his thoughts directed to
his return to the waking state, and he should then be told that on a
certain time he must awake, and to remember all that has passed during
the
seance. But no alarm should be felt if
the state continues for there is not the least danger of harm in any way.
THE OPERATOR.
You desire to be instructed in the
methods whereby you can induce the mesmeric state in others. What are your
motives? Do you wish to
investigate the laws of this department of knowledge? Do you wish to heal
by its methods? Know then that you must have a pure mind and act
unselfishly for high attainment.
AS A HEALER,
you must be actuated by the one motive
to alleviate pain for the good of others, and not have the least thought
of your own gain. The more you know of disease, and the keener insight you
have of the character of your patients, the greater will be your success,
in gaining their confidence and making those suggestions, which strongly
fixed in their minds, will react on their bodies with curative results.
The mesmeric healer who makes passes for a fee, is thereby barred from the
noblest uses and results. All the cures of Christian Science, faith cures,
mental cures, etc., are explained by this one principle, of suggestion
whereby the operator sets in
motion the vital forces, by awakening the attention of the mind. There is
no recuperating power equal to firm belief, or faith. It begets that
buoyancy which sets every current of the body in healthful activity. It
has its limitations, and these are purely physical causes, as effects of
poisons, or organic changes and lesions, or the attack of disease germs,
yet in this latter there may be that high activity induced, which destroys
them in the very citadel of
life and renders the individual immune from their attack.
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