THE SYMPATHETIC SYSTEM
The average person has a general understanding of what is meant by
"the nervous system," but inquiry will show that by this term he
usually includes only that part of the nervous system which is known
as the "cerebro-spinal system," or the system of nerves consisting
of the brain and spinal cord, and the nerves extending therefrom
throughout the body, the offices of which are to control the voluntary
movements of the body. The average person is almost entirely ignorant
of the existence of the Great Sympathetic System which controls
the involuntary movements and processes, such as the processes and
functions of nutrition, secretion, reproduction, excretion, the
vaso-motor action, etc. In physiology, the term "sympathetic" is used
in the sense of: "Reciprocal action of the different parts of the body
on each other; an affection of one part of the body in consequence of
something taking place in another. Thus when there is a local injury,
the whole frame after a time suffers with it. A wound anywhere will
tend to create feverishness everywhere; derangement of the stomach
will tend to produce headache, liver complaint to produce pain in the
shoulder, etc."
An old authority thus describes the Sympathetic Nerves: "A system of
nerves, running from the base of the skull to the coccyx, along both
sides of the body, and consisting of a series of ganglia along the
spinal column by the side of the vertebræ. With this trunk of the
sympathetic there are communicating branches which connect the ganglia,
or the intermediate cord, with all the spinal and several of the
cranial nerves proceeding to primary branches on the neighboring organs
or other ganglia, and finally numerous flexures of nerves running to
the viscera. Various fibers from the sympathetic communicate with
those of the cerebro-spinal system. The term 'sympathetic' has been
applied on the supposition that it is the agent in producing sympathy
between different parts of the body. It more certainly affects the
secretions." In the New Psychology the Sympathetic Nervous System is
recognized as that directly under the control of the Subconscious Mind.
The Cerebro-Spinal Nervous System is concerned with the activities
arising from the conscious activities of the mind, including those
of the five senses. It controls the muscles by which we speak, walk,
move our limbs, and pursue the ordinary activities of outer life. But,
while these are very important to the individual, there is another
set of activities--inner activities--which are none the less important.
The Sympathetic System controls the involuntary muscles by means of
which the heart throbs, the arteries pulsate, the air is conveyed to
the lungs, the blood moves to and from the heart, the various glands
and tubes of the body operate, and the entire work of nutrition,
repair, and body-building is performed. While the Cerebro-Spinal
System, and the Conscious Mind are able to rest a considerable portion
of the twenty-four hours of the day, the Sympathetic System and the
Subconscious Mind must needs work every minute of the twenty-four
hours, without rest or vacation, during the life of their owner.
Dr. E. H. Pratt, in his valuable "Series of Impersonations" published
in the medical magazines several years ago, and since reproduced in
book form, makes "The Sympathetic Man" speak as follows: "The entire
body can do nothing without me; and my occupation of supplying the
inspiration for our entire family is so constant and engaging that I
am compelled to attend strictly to business night and day from one
end of life to the other, and have no time whatever for observation,
education, or amusement outside of my daily tasks. As a rule, I perform
my work so noiselessly that the rest of the family are scarcely
conscious of my existence, for when I am well everything works all
right, each organ plays its part as usual, and the entire machinery
of life is operated noiselessly and without friction. When I am not
well, however, and am not quite equal to the demands made upon me, I
have two ways of making it known to the family. One is by appealing
to self-consciousness through the assistance of my cerebro-spinal
brother, with whom I am closely associated, thereby causing some
disturbance of sensation or locomotion (the most frequent disturbance
in this direction being the instituting of some form of pain); or I
sometimes take it into my head to say nothing to my cerebro-spinal
brother about my affairs, but simply shirk my duties, and my
inefficiency becomes manifest only when some one or all of the organs
suffer from some function poorly performed."
The nerve-centres of the Cerebro-Spinal System are grouped closely
together, while those of the Sympathetic System are scattered about
the body, each organ having its appropriate centre or tiny-brain. The
heart, the liver, the kidneys, the spleen, the brain, the intestinal
tract, the bladder, the generative organs, have each its own particular
nerve-centre of the Sympathetic System--each its tiny-brain--each,
however, connected with all the others. And more than this--in addition
to the tiny-brains in each of the important vital organs, there are
found scattered through the trunk a number of _ganglia_, or knots of
gray nervous matter, arranged longitudinally in two lines extending
from just in front of the spinal column from the base of the skull to
the end of the spinal column, each vertebra having its appropriate
ganglia. In some cases several of these ganglia are grouped together,
the number ranging from two to three. Each ganglion is a distinct
centre giving off branches in four directions.
There is also one place in which are grouped together several very
large ganglia, forming what is known as the Solar Plexus, or Abdominal
Brain, which is situated at the upper part of the abdomen, behind the
stomach and in front of the aorta and the pillars of the diaphragm,
and from which issue nerves extending in all directions. By some
authorities the Solar Plexus is regarded as the great centre of the
Sympathetic System, and the main seat of the Subconscious Mind. Dr.
Byron Robinson bestowed upon this centre the name "The Abdominal
Brain," saying of the use of the term: "I mean to convey the idea that
it is endowed with the high powers and phenomena of a great nervous
centre; that it can organize, multiply, and diminish forces."
One of the most interesting and significant features of the ganglia is
that of their connection with the nerve centres of the Cerebro-Spinal
System, indicating the reciprocal action existing between the two
great nervous systems. From each one of the ganglia in the two great
lines forming the system, issues a tiny filament which connects with
the spinal cord; and at the same time it receives from the spinal
cord a tiny filament in return, thus establishing a double line of
communication. It is held by some authorities that one of these
filaments acts as a sending wire, and the other as a receiving wire
between the two systems. Be this as it may, the inter-communication
between the two systems is clearly indicated.
It must be remembered that the involuntary muscles which move the
heart, as well as the tiny muscles which form the middle-coat of the
arteries and the veins, are controlled by the Sympathetic System,
and thus the important work of the circulation, which goes on day
and night, year in and year out, during life, is directly under the
charge of the Sympathetic System and the Subconscious Mind. Also, the
involuntary muscles which are concerned with the activities of the
liver, the kidneys and the spleen, are under the same direct control.
Dr. E. H. Pratt, in the "Series of Impersonations" above referred to,
makes the "Subconscious Man" tell the following wonderful truth, which
we suggest each reader read carefully and fix in his mind: "My brother
the Sympathetic Man has told you that I am the animating spirit of his
construction; and as he is the great body builder, having furnished
the emotions under which our entire family has been put into form, you
can understand by what right I pose before you as the human form of
forms. All the rest of the family are because I am. Even my Conscious
brother, who claims superiority to his fellow-shapes because he bosses
them around a little and makes use of them, is a subject of my own
creation.... I am the life of the Sympathetic Man, whose existence as
a human shape has already sufficiently been well established, and as
there is no part of him which is not alive, the conclusion is very
evident that his shape and mine are identical. _There is no part of
the sympathetic system which is not animated by my own principle of
vitality._ Indeed, he is but a cup of life, though I can assure you
that his cup is full, and he would not be good for much if it was not.
So, if you are able to conceive the shape of the Sympathetic Man, you
can regard this form as identical with my own. This is really a very
modest claim on my part, and does not quite do justice to myself, for
in reality the Sympathetic Man does not contain all there is of me by
any means, for I am not only in him, but all around him, and he is not
by any means capable of containing my full self."
When it is seen that the vital activities of the physical body are
ruled, governed and controlled by the Sympathetic System, animated by
the Subconscious Mind, and that the latter is amenable to Suggestion
from the Conscious Mind and from outside, we may begin to get a glimmer
of the great light which illuminates the principle of Mental Healing.
If the Subconscious Mind, _the builder_, is influenced by Suggestion
to neglect his work, or to build wrongly, it is likewise possible for
him to heed proper Suggestion and to repair his mistakes and to rebuild
properly. This principle being grasped, the rest will seem to be merely
an understanding of the best methods of reaching the Subconscious
Mind by Suggestion or Auto-Suggestion. We may now begin to understand
the truth of the old axiom: "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is
he"--physically. And as Thought is based largely upon Belief, can we not
see the dynamic force of Faith? Is there not a real psychological basis
for so-called "miracles?" Is not the wonder-working of the cults now
understandable?