THE FINER FORCES OF THE MIND.
It was the writer's original intention to close the book with the
chapter in which he brought to a close his argument, and presentation of
the case of "Dynamic Thought." The book was written for the purpose of
demonstrating that Theory, and it naturally should have closed there.
The writer has in simultaneous course of preparation a companion book,
entitled "_The Wonders of The Mind_," in which, in addition to
information and instruction regarding the latent powers and hidden
regions of the mind--including an investigation of the Infra-conscious
and Ultra-conscious Regions; Automatic Thinking; Occult Systems of
Mentation; Mental Development, and Unfoldment, etc.--he purposes taking
up the subject of "Dynamic Thought," from the Mental Plane of Man. And
he thought it better to keep the two branches of the subject separate
and apart.
But, notwithstanding the above facts, he feels that he cannot close the
present book--the consideration of the present phase of the subject,
without at least a passing reference to the fact that "Dynamic Thought"
is fully operative on the Plane of Human Mentation, as on the Plane of
Atomic Mentation. In fact, Man has the same power, potentially, that is
possessed by the Atom, only refined to a degree corresponding to the
development of Man as compared to that of the Atom. The Power is raised
to a higher Plane of Mentation, but is fully operative.
Just as the body of Man contains physical life corresponding with the
different stages of lower physical life, mineral, vegetable, and
animal--for instance, the mineral-like bones, and the mineral salts in
the system; the plant-like life and work of the cells; and the
animal-like flesh, and physical life; in addition to the wonderful
brain-structure and fine brain development, peculiar to Man--so has Man
the lower Mental Qualities of the lower life, in addition to his
glorious Human Consciousness that is reserved for the Highest Form of
Life on the globe.
In his Mental regions, man has the power of the Atom of attracting
particles of Substance to him, that he may combine it with other
Substances in building up his body--then he has the plant-like cell
mentation, that does the building-up work, and repairs wounds, and
damaged parts, etc.--then he has the animal mentation evidencing in the
passions, desires, and emotions of the purely animal nature, and which
mentation, by the way, keeps Man busy in controlling by means of his
higher mental faculties, that are God's gift to Man, and are not
possessed by the animals. But all this will form part of the sequel,
"_The Wonders of The Mind_," and are merely mentioned here in passing.
And, just as Man is enabled to use elementary the physical qualities
that he finds in his body, and to turn same to good account in living
his human life, so does man, consciously, or unconsciously, make use of
these elementary Mental powers in his everyday mental life. And if he
but realizes what a _conscious_ use of these faculties, guided by the
Human Will, will do, Man may become a different order of being. This is
the basis of the Occult Teachings, and the Mysteries of the Ancients, as
well as the teachings of the modern secret esoteric bodies and
societies, such as the "Rosicrucians" and "Hermetic Brotherhood," and
several other societies whose names are not known--the _real_ societies
are referred to, not the brazen imitations that unscrupulous men are
holding out to the public as the original orders, membership being
offered and urged for the consideration of a few dollars. It is needless
to say that membership in the _real_ Occult orders is _never urged_,
and _cannot be bought_.
But to return to the subject--the Individual Mind of Man is in direct
touch, not only with the great Cosmic Mind, but also with the Individual
Mind of every other Man. Just as the Particles are bound by lines of
Attraction, so are the Minds of Men bound together by lines of Mind, or
Mental filaments. And just as special forms of Attraction exist between
the Particles, so do special forms of Attraction exist between Men. And
just as Particles are influenced at a distance by other Particles, so
are Men influenced at a distance by other Men. And just as the Particle
draws toward itself that which it Desires, so do Men draw toward
themselves that which they Desire. And just as Mental-States and
"Excitement" are transmitted, or communicated from Particle to Particle,
so are Mental States or "Excitement" transmitted or communicated from
Men to Men. "_As Above so Below--as Below so Above_," says the old
Occult Maxim, and it may be found to operate on every plane.
The phenomena of Thought Transference; Telepathy; Telesthesia; Mental
Projection; Suggestion; Hypnotism, Mesmerism, etc., etc., may be
explained and understood, by reason of an acquaintance with the "Theory
of Dynamic Thought," as explained in this book. An understanding of one
gives you the key to the other--for the Law operates precisely the same
on each particular plane. If the reader will think over this statement,
and then apply it to his investigations and experiments, he will find
that he has the key to many mysteries--the loose end of a mighty ball of
thread, which he may unwind at his leisure.
Let us begin by a consideration of the process of Thought-production in
the Human Mind. In this way we may arrive at a clearer idea of the
Mental Phenomena known as Thought-Force; Mental Power; Thought-waves;
Thought-vibrations; Mind-transference; Mental Influence, etc. To
understand these things we must begin by understanding the Process of
Thought-production. Here is found the Secret of the phenomena named, and
much more.
In the first place, while the Brain is the Organ of the Mind--the
Instrument that the Mind uses in producing Thought, still the Brain does
_not_ do the thinking, nor is the brain-matter visible to the eye, the
material instrument of thinking. The Brain (and other portions of the
nervous systems, including the "little brains" or ganglia, found in
various parts of the body) is composed of a certain substance--a fine
form of Plasm, which however is but the ground-work of foundation for
finer forms of Substance used in the production of Thought. Science has
not discovered this finer Substance, for it is not visible to the eye,
or to the finest instruments, but trained Occulists know that it exists.
This fine Substance escapes the scalpel and microscope of the biologists
and anatomists, and, consequently, their search for "Mind" in the Brain
is futile. There is something more than "tissue to be irritated" in the
Brain. But, remember, that this "something more" is still Substance, and
not Mind itself.
Thought is a form of "Excitement" in this fine brain-substance, which we
may as well call Psycho-plasm, from the two Greek words meaning "the
mind," and "a mold, or matrix," respectively--the combined word meaning
the "mould or matrix of Mind," in other words the material Substance
used by the Mind in which to "cast" or "mold" Thoughts.
This Excitement in the Psychoplasm manifests in vibrations of its
particles--for, like all Substance, it has "particles." All scientists
agree that in the process of thinking there is an expenditure of Energy,
and a "using-up" of material Substance. Just how this is effected, they
do not know, but their experiments have shown that there is Energy
manifested and used, and also Substance consumed.
The secret of the production of Thought does not lie in the Brain or
nervous system, which are but the material substratum upon which the
Mind works, and which it uses as a mold or matrix for the production of
Thought. Thought is the product of Mind directing Force upon Substance
in the shape of Psychoplasm. And Energy is manifested in the production
of Thought just as much as in the operation of the Law of Attraction, or
Chemical Action. "_What_ Force and Energy?" may be asked. The answer is
"_Mental_ Force!" But although the answer stares them right in the face,
scientists deny that Mind contains Force or Energy within itself, and
persist in thinking of Force as a "mechanical thing," or as necessarily
derived from the common forms of Energy, such as Heat, Light or
Electricity. They ignore the fact that Mind has a Finer Force which it
uses to perform its work.
How do the Atoms attract each other and move together? There is an
evidence of Force and Energy here that is not Heat, Light or
Electricity--what is it? When a man wishes to close his hand, he Wills
that it be closed, and sends a current of this Finer Force of the Mind
along the nerve to the muscle, and the latter contracts and the hand is
closed. A similar process is used in every muscular action. _What is
the Force used?_
Science admits the existence of this Force, and calls it "Nervous
Energy," or "Nerve Force." It holds that it must be something like
Electricity, and some even go so far as to say that it _is_ Electricity.
They base their ideas upon the fact that when Electricity is applied to
the muscle of living or dead animals, they contract just as they do when
this "Nerve Force" is applied, and every movement of the muscles may be
so produced by Electricity, which becomes a counterfeit Nerve Force.
But, here is the point, this Force cannot be identical with Electricity,
_for none of the appliances for registering electric currents will
register it_. It is not Electricity, _but is some Finer Force of the
Mind_, generated in the material substratum that the Mind uses as a base
of operation.
This Fine Force of the Mind is generated in some way in the Brain and
Nervous System, by action upon the Psychoplasm. The Brain, or brains
(for Man has several centres worthy of that term) are like great dynamos
and storehouses of this Force, and the nerves are the wires that carry
it to all parts of the system. More than this, the nerves have been
found to be generators of Force, also, as well as the Brain.
Experiments have shown that the supply of Force in a nerve vanishes when
the nerve is used, in which case it draws upon the storehouses for an
additional supply.
This Fine Force of the Mind is really the source of All Energy, for as
we have shown in previous chapters, all Motion arises from Mental
Action, and this form of Force or Energy is the primal Force or Energy
produced by the Mind. And this Force is in operation in all forms of
Life, from the Atom to the Man. And not only may it be used by the
Particle, but Man, also, has it at his disposal.
As a proof that Substance is "used-up," and Energy manifested in the
production of Thought, Science points to the fact that the temperature
of a nerve rises when it is used, and the temperature of the Brain
increases when it is used for extended Thought. Scientists have claimed,
and advanced a mass of proof to back up the same, that Thought was as
much a form of Energy as was the pulling of a train of cars, and was
attended by the production of a definite amount of Heat, resulting from
the activity of the fine substance of the physical extended resistant
and composite substratum.
But, Science has taken all this to mean that Thought and Mind were
purely material things, and properties of Matter. It has claimed that
"Matter Thinks," instead of that Mind uses the Matter or Substance, in
its finer forms, as a _substratum for the production of Thought_.
Buchner, the leader of the purely Materialistic school, claims
positively that Thought is but the product of Matter. He says: "Is it
not a patent fact, obvious to all but the wilfully blind that _matter
does think_? De la Mettrie made merry over the narrowness of the
mentalists, in saying: 'When people ask whether matter can think, it is
as though they asked whether matter can strike the hours!' Matter,
indeed, as such, thinks as little as it strikes the hours; but it does
both, when brought into such conditions that thinking, or hour-striking
results as a natural action or performance."
The above quoted opinion of Buchner shows how narrow and one-sided a
talented man may become by reason of shutting out all other points of
view, and seeing only one phase of a subject. The example of the
"hour-striking" is a poor figure for the Materialists, for although
matter _does_ strike the hours, it does so only when wound up by Man
under direction of his Mind. And in the manufacture, adjustment, and
winding of the clock, Mind is the Cause of the Action. And, more than
this, the very action of the coiled spring that is the immediate cause
of the striking, results from the _mental_ effort of the Particles of
the spring endeavoring to resume their accustomed position, under the
law of Elasticity, as explained in our chapters on Substance.
Science renders valuable service in showing us the details of the
"mechanism" of Thought, but it will never really _explain_ anything
unless it assumes the existence of Mind, back of and in everything. It
may dissect the brain-cells, and show us their composition, but it never
will find Mind under the scalpel, or in the scale or test-tube. Not only
is this true, but it cannot even discover the fine Psychoplasm which is
used in the production of Mind. But we may make use of its
investigations regarding the matter of Activity of Brain-substance in
the process of Thought, and by combining them with our belief regarding
the existence of Mind we may form a complete chain of reasoning, without
any missing-links--these missing-links appearing both in the case of the
"no-mind" philosophers, and the "no-matter" metaphysicians.
This theory of Mind and Substance considered as the two aspects of
Something Higher, from which both have originated or emanated, will come
to be regarded as the only "thinkable" proposition, in the end. And,
with this idea in view, we may use the facts and experiments of the
Materialists, while smiling at their theories. And, with but a slight
change of words, we may turn against them their own verbal batteries. In
this way, we may take Moleschott's famous statement: "_Thought is but a
motion of Matter_," and render it intelligible by making it read as
follows: "_Thought produces Motion in Matter_."
This Finer Force of the Mind is in full evidence to those who look for
it, and although it may not be registered by the scales or instruments
designed to register the coarser grades of Force, still it _is_
registered in the minds of men and women, and in the actions resulting
from their thoughts. These living registers of the Force respond readily
to it,--and every one of us is such a register. Just as is the Force a
much higher grade of Energy than the forms usually considered as
comprising the entire range of Energy, so are the instruments required
for its registration much higher than those used to determine the
degrees of Heat, Light, Electricity, and Magnetism. It may be that the
future will give us instruments adapted for the purpose--in fact it
begins to look even now as if the same were forthcoming. But whether we
have such mechanical instruments, or not, the living instruments give us
a sufficient proof of the existence of the Force, and its operation.
Well--the writer still finds himself unable to bring the book to a
close. He added this chapter, to show that the property of Dynamic
Thought extended to the highest development of Mind, as well as abiding
in the lowest. And, now that he has ventured upon the subject, he finds
himself impelled to give you a few instances of the workings and
operations of that Law, in the case of Human Mental Life. And this means
one more chapter--but only one, remember. The book must come to an end
sometime remember. And, so we will pass over into another chapter, which
will be entitled, "Thought in Action."