It is unnecessary to give here all the assertions made by Alice in the
trance state. We will simply review and examine the most prominent and
salient points, one of which was "Thought, being the offspring or
expression of the individual's desire, or, as some persons prefer to
state it, the soul's desire; it must partake of all the predominating
chemical characteristics animating the generator at the time of its
conception and birth; therefore, it was no vague, tangible force, but
actual, tangible chemical substance as much as the atmosphere."
One man, if he is in normal condition, can see another one, but he
cannot see the potent chemicals that compose the atmosphere; still, the
force stored up and vented through the invisible agency (so far as man's
sight is concerned), is capable to, and does do much damage to man and
all material conditions, by this one demonstration, proving beyond the
shadow of a doubt, its superiority as we might say, in chemical
substance, as a weaker force can never injure a stronger one.
If there was no substance or substantiality in the atmosphere, it could
not affect and destroy substance, for, without tangibility, it would
pass through substances, creating no visible disturbance. Vague
nothingness never yet compelled obedience from solid matter. That which
disturbs and moves is much more powerful than that which is disturbed
and moved.
Thought, upon whatever plane of action we consider life, is the creator
and controller of all conditions. There is not, never was, nor ever will
be, a type of life so low in the evolutionary scale, as to be devoid of
some kind or specie of thought. In the humblest and simplest types, this
thought can vent itself in no higher form than a desire for the presence
of kinds similar to itself.
Thought is subject to evolution and progression as much as any form of
Infinite Life. From this one thought of desire, springs, in diversified
and innumerable channels, all kinds and manners of thought. One and all
having their primary origin in this humble beginning, the same as all
the high achievements and possibilities man can hope to accomplish in
the Infinite Ages, lie dormant in the embryo babe.
The babe, while in the state of embryo development, can express very few
and limited powers; but its soul, or spirit, must contain all the latent
essential powers the man will manifest throughout Eternity. Otherwise,
circumstances, however potent and powerful, could not materialize the
effects which are observable.
There is no power, be it ever so strong, that can evoke and bring forth
from a life, qualities and characteristics foreign to it. Those same
characteristics may be magnified, enlarged or intensified, until their
true proportions are lost sight of, but is there a new factor infused
into the soul? No.
A hypnotist, or psychologist, when we view them in a scientific light,
is nothing but a magnet, which, consciously or unconsciously, influences
and controls many, who possess similar innate traits of spirit upon
different planes or stages of development.
To the minds of many, a hypnotist or psychologist is one who, by a firm
and determined exercise of will, acquires the power, when they choose to
assert it, to influence less self-centered minds. It is, of course, to
be understood that many men who call themselves wise, believe not at all
in the efficacy of one man's mind to control another man's
consciousness, but all students of life know it is not what one, many,
or indeed, all men believe to be true, that is the motive power of
progression, but what the Infinite Law directs.
Those men who deny the creative power of thought, attributing all
favorable results to the fiat dictation of a Supreme Personal
Intelligence, are to be pitied rather than censured.
One might as well deny a rose seed will bring forth a rose, if it brings
forth any result at all, as to say "thought is not the motive cause of
every expressed result." Without a foregoing cause, there would be no
motion or action of any kind. Man never moves his limbs without a
thought "I want to go to such a place"; he would not have food in his
stomach, if there was not the thought of hunger, which causes him to
carry food from his hands to his mouth, and so on. There might be the
most bountiful of feasts spread before him, and if his desire could not
inspire activity and motion in his arms and hands, he might starve with
plenty of edibles in sight, unless some person were inspired to feed
him. His arms, hands and limbs will not operate until there has been a
foregoing thought.
If his thought or desire is strong, the physical members are but humble
instruments that obey his will as operator.
Enough of this;--a hypnotist or psychologist influences and controls not
only those persons they will to obey their desires, but many others whom
they have not the slightest desire nor intention of influencing. They
are in precisely the same position as is a material magnet which is
surrounded by a large number of negatives; it becomes the centre of
attraction to whatever negatives are within the radius of its magnetism
or influence. It may not want those negatives, but there is no escape
from their vampirage unless there is the conscious knowledge on the
part of the psychologist of how to throw off undesirable influences or
negatives.
It is possible for so many negatives to attach themselves to a material
magnet they draw away, or sap, all the individual magnetism and strength
of the magnet, making that which was previously strong and forceful to
become weak and impotent itself; so a man who has been a strong and
powerful psychologist, may become a centre of attraction to so many
negative lives he may be drained of his self-centered energy, thus,
instead of being a commanding life, he assumes the position of a
negative himself.
Those men who are familiar with the modes and characteristics of
material magnets know that, after a certain number of negatives have
attached themselves to it, the magnet must either be recharged from a
lodestone, or it will become a negative itself.
Every negative person within the radius of a psychologist's influence
feels the same draw toward them, that material negatives do toward a
magnet. The reader, of course, understands that both the material magnet
and the psychologist can only draw or attract similar natures, or
chemicals to themselves. There was never yet a hypnotist so strong he
could draw or attract to himself persons who were endowed with varying
or opposite characteristics from his own.
You can control another's personality in those qualities or habits you
could control, did they come into your own life; possibly you might, by
force of will, govern and control, a condition you had never faced nor
felt an inclination for in your own life, but you may be sure you cannot
control this in another person's life, if you could not have conquered
the same condition, had it arisen in your own.
Many persons measure what you may do by what you have done; such is
neither fair nor accurate judgment. No man knows surely and positively
what he would do under the severe and stern test of temptation, until he
has been actually subjected to the same. He may have many theories and
ideas, but these dissipate and vanish like mist before the sun, when
stern realities appear. The man who thinks he would do best, often does
the worst, while he who doubts his ability to rise superior to
temptation, will, because he wants to prove himself better than his
judgment, rise superior to the wave that wrecks and drowns him who was
too confident of his personal abilities.
In answer to the question (from whence flowed the wisdom and knowledge
voiced by Alice?): she gave this seemingly ambiguous answer to persons
who have no knowledge of the science of thought and creation--(I glean
from the highest wisdom generated by man as a mass, then for higher
knowledge I am limited to the kindness and wisdom of those individuals
among whom I am thrust by the will of the temporary projector.
If the question is one that is cogent to, and can be answered by
embodied man, I am instinctively attracted to him, from his aura or
influence, attaining the answer desired; if not, I am compelled to seek
higher from disembodied individuals, but by far the strongest factor is
the public thought or prejudice. The reason I give higher wisdom to
Professor Huskins' wife's thought is, being unprejudiced, but desirous
of wisdom, she draws from my spirit more power to probe and penetrate
into the aura of those persons who possess the knowledge requisite to
answer the questions from a standpoint of experience rather than
theory.)
The acquisition of all known facts can only be by the absorption from a
higher source.
The height of the plane of absorption depends on the state of
receptiveness of the hypnotist more than the subject.
It is impossible to control the consciousness of another individual and
not prejudice and limit him to a certain degree by the opinions of the
operator.
The operator may have no desire to do so, and may strive to the full
extent of his will to leave the subject free and untrammeled by any of
his preconceived opinions, but if he did not project a certain amount of
his personality into the being of the subject, he could not control him.
The subject therefore cannot hope to rise in execution above the
capacity of the hypnotist, provided the hypnotist has developed his full
powers.
A mesmerized subject is irresponsible for whatever sentiments he may
express in a trance.
In that condition he is no longer a normal person but acts as a
sensitive plate to picture and reproduce the strongest influences
bearing upon him at a given time.
He is the reflector of the thoughts and opinions of others and no more
to be censured for what he gives forth than is a mirror that pictures
the likeness of an ugly and exceedingly unpleasant face. The fault is
not the mirror's, for another, stopping before it, will reflect a
handsome and pleasing picture. The mirror is limited to, and bound to
reflect just such peculiarities as the object which is before it may
possess, and the mesmerist's subject acts as just such a reflector for
thought impressions. Several psychologists, using the same subject
equally desirous of obtaining knowledge upon the same lines, can and
frequently do receive very dissimilar results; so widely different in
sense as to make assimilation between them impossible. This is due to
the fact each directing will, compelling the subject to go forth in
search of knowledge, varies in its capability to send him to a certain
point or location.
The magnetism then absorbed which deadened their own consciousness,
limits their search for knowledge to just those spheres of action where
they find similar kinds and classes of chemicals operative. No two men
generate precisely the same kind of magnetism; therefore, no two can
bring forth the same results from the same subject, unless they, by the
exercise of will force, compel them to utter words and assertions they
wish them to.
One must also take into consideration the varying susceptibility of the
subject to the influences of different persons. A negative and good
subject will manifest very different characteristics under different
persons' influence.
The concord and harmonious feeling between operator and subject means
more than most men think, if real wisdom is to be gleaned. The
psychologist who uses only will power, considering his subject in nearly
the same light he would a material object, that could further his plans,
and wishes, will never acquire progressive wisdom upon abstruse subjects
that elude his own or his colleagues' understanding. He can to an
attentive audience who are ignorant of the principles governing
psychology, or mesmerism, perform through his subjects what I call
"physical phenomena," confounding the audience with facts of power they
can neither understand nor deny. He can fill them with awe, even horror
or fear, but he is limited to feats of physical prowess, or those that
are familiar to the majority of men. Request him to have a subject
perform some mental feat equally wonderful, and wholly beyond his (the
operator's) knowledge, and there follows a dismal failure. To be sure,
the subject may answer it to the understanding and satisfaction of both
questioner and operator; but compare that answer with demonstrated
scientific facts, and it will often be found faulty and inaccurate,
because the projecting will had only the power to force the subject into
the aura of persons possessing little knowledge upon the desired
subject.
A small amount of knowledge is always faulty and defective, being
tinctured so much with ignorance.
In the case we are considering, Clarissa had not the power to entrance
Alice, as she had never practiced in this line, and knew almost nothing
of the science. Like everyone who becomes interested in its efficacy,
having no experience by which to gauge her aspirations, she expected
more than demonstrated facts could illustrate. Her buoyancy of faith in
Alice's utterances while in the trance state, furnished the best of
conditions for Alice to work in, considering especially the refinement
and goodness of Clarissa's soul.
Her natural aspirations and desires were high and worthy of attention
for their own sakes. She was ambitious, progressive and desirous of
learning, she had little prejudice to overcome as she had almost no
knowledge of the efficacy of thought and she loved Alice for her own
pure self.
Alice had had a peculiar life and development. She had been kept quite
isolated; and knew little of the turmoil of material life, while the
love she bore Clarissa bordered upon worship. All her family loved
William, and had looked to him for years as the zenith of their lives;
he embodied to them all that was noble, excellent, grand and good. Never
once had he failed to be a loyal, staunch foundation. Both Merle and
Alice looked to him as they would their father, having supreme and
unfaltering faith in his every declaration.
Their love may not have been wise and judicious, but it was sincere and
earnest. The fact they made such excellent subjects was due to their
love and the desire to do whatever he wished. It was never a task nor an
inconvenience for them to do what he desired. They found their greatest
happiness in working for and pleasing him. Whenever either of them went
into a trance, it was gladly and willingly, and with the thought of
being honored by being selected by so distinguished a man as the
Professor.
They thought him not only the most honorable, but the wisest and most
powerful man living. Their sole anxiety was to please him and to do his
bidding, if by their quiescent obedience to his desire or will force
they could bring contentment or satisfaction, they were not only
satisfied but happy.
Alice was favored beyond Merle in this respect. She had not been forced
nor coerced, even in a trance. William had been a long time developing
her, but he had never asked her many questions, nor presumed upon her
negative state to yield him desired knowledge.
With Merle it had been different; he had been used, from the beginning,
to acquire knowledge of which the Professor was either ignorant, or
about which he had his doubts; Merle consequently partook of more of the
Professor's characteristics than Alice.
If Clarissa had tried to use Merle, although he was the acknowledged
best subject, he could not possibly have given her the same knowledge
Alice did.
Loving the Professor as they did, Merle and Alice actually adored his
family; Clarissa and Augustus were not common individuals in their eyes.
You can see what an effect of inspiration or almost superhuman power
this produced in Alice's life. She enjoyed any test imposed upon her for
the Professor's sake, through him or his family. He was wise and good,
his family were more. Her sincere love and admiration for Clarissa made
her an obedient slave, through love and not force.
Both subject and operator being actuated by sentiments of love, were
enabled to gather facts William, with all the force of his powers could
not obtain, owing to the fact he drew limits to possibilities and
actualities, judging by past or previous experiences, while Clarissa,
having no past theories, offered no prejudices to obstruct the flight of
Alice's imagination or inquiry.
She only waited patiently for answers to questions she furnished, having
the most complete faith and belief in the facts Alice avouched. Not
having definite ideas or theories upon the subject, she accepted without
comment, or prejudice, what William would have disputed. William's mind
brought into the balance, would have outweighed any new facts that she
gave.
Alice and Clarissa were actuated by love both for William and for
science, and the desire to do the best that lay in their individual
spirits, prompted them to rise above the limits, temporarily, of their
own possible achievements. Neither of them, reading the accounts of what
they had done, would have or could have valued it the same as he did, or
as any other person who possessed knowledge upon that line of thought.
They could acquire this knowledge, but could not practice it owing to
the same principle that causes the mirror to be capable of producing the
reflection, but not the tangible object which it may transiently
picture.
Clarissa did not pretend to understand the laws governing the phenomena
Alice avouched. This fact made her cling all the more tenaciously to
them. She knew her own mind or will had not, consciously or
unconsciously, influenced her, and her confidence and faith mounted
higher because of this fact.
William did not like to acknowledge the fallacy and fallibility of
thought as a creative power, and Clarissa, knowing less of its power,
gave full credence to all that Alice said. The united action or
combination of these two loving and loyal souls produced a large amount
of evidence or truth of life's actual manifestation. This truth, William
could neither deny nor condemn; he could not understand all the narrated
assertions or facts at once. Upon those points where he felt to
disagree, there was always some assertion or illustration he could not
refute, which drew his mind away from old theories, compelling him to
accept, even against his desires and will, the assertions as given.
He never acknowledged the advance in wisdom he made at this time;
possibly it was well he did not, as, if he had acknowledged himself in
error or faulty, they might have ceased to contemplate him as their
hero. This hero-worship was the principal factor that had brought about
the best results, lifting their souls out of the ordinary grooves, and
endowing them with momentary powers they could not live up to, but he,
their hero, gleaning knowledge of these facts, could live up to and
practice them.
Studying life closely, we find that the most fluent talkers lack
executive ability. Both are needed to materialize the most perfect
results. There must first come the realization of possibility beyond all
phases of expressed life that have been. It is the province of a
concentrator to materialize these possibilities.