PRACTICAL CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS.
The Normal Relations of the Objective and Subjective
Faculties.--Their Distinctive Powers and Functions.--The Infinite
Wisdom displayed in their Distribution.--It constitutes Man a Free
Moral Agent.--Limitation of Subjective Powers and Responsibilities
in this Life.--The Kinship of the Soul to God.--The Limitation
of the Powers of the Objective Mind.--The Transcendent Powers of
the Soul.--Errors of the Old Philosophers.--The Normal Functions
of the Soul in Earthly Life.--Dangers of Abnormal Exercise of
Subjective Power.--Nervous Disorders, Insanity, Imbecility, and
Moral Degradation.--The Importance of a Knowledge of the Law of
Suggestion.--Dangers of Mediumship.--Trance-speakers.--Immoral
Tendency of Ignorant Mediumship.--Tendency towards Free Love.--The
Causes.--The Orientalists.--Their Greater Powers and their Greater
Facilities for Self-delusion.--Practical Conclusions.--Warnings.
I have now presented the propositions of my hypothesis, together with
a brief outline showing its applicability to the leading psychic
phenomena; and it remains only to draw a few practical conclusions
which apply to every-day life. The first, and the most obviously
important one, relates to the exercise of subjective power, and the
normal relations of the objective and subjective faculties. In order to
do so clearly and concisely, it will be necessary to recall the terms
of the hypothesis.
The first proposition is that the mind of man is dual in character.
This proposition, as we have already stated, has been more or less
dimly recognized by many philosophers in all ages; and during the
present century it has been gradually assuming a more definite status
in mental philosophy. Assuming, therefore, this proposition to be
true, it necessarily follows that the two minds must, normally, bear a
harmonious relation to each other. It follows that one of the two minds
must, normally, be subordinated to the other. Otherwise there would be
a conflict. Just here Liébault's discovery of the law of suggestion
comes in, and shows that the subjective mind is constantly controlled
by that power. It is true that Liébault and his followers have applied
the law only to the elucidation of hypnotic phenomena; and in that
have not always carried it to its legitimate conclusion. But it has
seemed to me that if the law is applicable to one class of psychic
phenomena, it must be equally applicable to all, as nature's laws admit
of no exceptions. I have therefore declared, as the second proposition
of my hypothesis, that the subjective mind is always controllable by
suggestion.
Assuming, therefore, that these two propositions are true, it follows
as a necessary consequence that there must be some distinctive line
of difference between the methods of operation of the two minds. It
is obvious that there is a limitation of power in the subjective
mind, otherwise it could not be subordinated to the objective. Just
where this line of distinction could be drawn, and how it could
be formulated, was at first a perplexing question. There were no
authorities on the subject who ever hinted at a possible limitation of
reasoning power in either branch of the dual mind. On the contrary,
those who have observed the phenomena of subjective mental activity,
as seen in hypnotic subjects, in trance-speakers, and cognate
exhibitions, have been so profoundly impressed with its transcendent
powers that it has seemed impossible that it could be hedged about by
limitations. Philosophers from time immemorial have recognized its
tremendous powers of memory, and millions have sat entranced by the
eloquence of subjective speakers, and noted with profound admiration
their accuracy of logical deduction. So impressed has the world been
by such exhibitions that the soul has been held up as the infallible
guide to all that is pure and noble and good in humanity. It has
been called the Ego (which it truly is), and as such it has been
recognized as the inward monitor, whose monitions are always entitled
to reverential consideration. It was difficult, therefore, to imagine
any line of distinction between the two branches of the dual mind
which would place the subjective in a subordinate position. But for
the discovery of Liébault's law of suggestion that line would never
have been recognized. It now becomes evident, however, that the point
of its limitation of reasoning power is the starting-point. It has not
the power to formulate its own premises. The subsidiary proposition
of our general hypothesis is, therefore, that _the subjective mind is
incapable of inductive reasoning_. It will readily be seen that it is a
corollary of the law of suggestion; but the three propositions together
furnish the key to the whole science of psychology.
I am aware that those who have hitherto regarded the soul as possessing
all the intellectual powers, as well as all the moral attributes, will
be shocked when they realize that the object of their admiration is
hedged about with any limitations whatever. The first question they
will ask is, "Why is it that God has given to man a soul possessing
such transcendent powers in certain directions, and yet under the
absolute control, in all its ideas and intellectual functions, of a
finite, perishable intelligence?" The broad and comprehensive answer
is, _To constitute man a free moral agent_. It needs no argument to
show that if the soul were not so limited in its initiative power of
reasoning, the finite, mortal man could not be held responsible for
the moral status of his soul. God gave to objective man the powers of
reason, inductive as well as deductive, for the purpose of enabling him
successfully to struggle with his physical environment. He gave him the
power to know the right from the wrong. He gave him supreme control
of the initial processes of reasoning, and thus made him responsible
for the moral status of his soul. The soul, in the mean time, so long
as it inhabits the body, is charged with limited responsibilities. It
is the life-principle of the body, and its normal functions pertain
solely to the preservation of human life and the perpetuation of the
human race. It possesses wonderful powers in other directions, under
certain abnormal conditions of the body, it is true. But their exercise
outside of those limits is always abnormal, and productive of untoward
results. Those powers of which we catch occasional glimpses, and which
so excite our admiration, are powers which pertain to its existence in
a future world. They are powers which proclaim it as a part of God, as
partaking of the nature and attributes of the Divine Mind. Its powers
of perception of the fixed laws of nature demonstrate its kinship
to Omniscience. It is independent of the feeble powers of inductive
reasoning when it is freed from its earthly trammels; and there is not
one power or attribute peculiar to the finite, objective mind that
could be of any service to the soul in its eternal home. We boast of
our powers of inductive reason, forgetting how little we have learned,
or ever can know, compared with what there is to learn. We forget that
they are the outgrowth of our physical wants and necessities, and
simply enable us to grope in the dark for the means of subsistence, and
to render our physical existence tolerable. The powers of the objective
mind, compared with those of the subjective mind, may be likened to a
man born in a cave, in which the light of the sun never entered, and
supplied only with a rushlight with which to grope his way and find
the means of subsistence. The light, feeble as it is, is invaluable to
him; for by its means he is enabled gradually to learn his bearings,
to take note of his environment, to make occasional discoveries of the
necessities of life, and finally to achieve some of the comforts of
existence. The more he discovers, the more he appreciates the value
of his rushlight and the more he boasts of its transcendent powers of
illumination. He hears vague reports of an outside world where the
comforts and luxuries of life are comparatively easy to obtain, and he
resolves to grope his way out. He is told that the outside world is
lighted by a great luminary which will render his rushlight of no value
to him except as a reminder of the limitations of his cave-life. But
he is sceptical, and points with pride to his accumulations and the
discoveries he has made with the aid of his "God-given illuminant," and
refuses to believe that there is a possible state of existence which
would be tolerable without rushlights. At length a cataclysm of nature
throws him upon the outside world in the full blaze of the light of a
midday sun. He then finds that he is in a world of light; that he can
perceive things as they are, and observe their bearings and relations
to each other, and he finds that the rays of his rushlight are no
longer visible. It is obvious that this is but a feeble illustration of
the difference between the powers of inductive inquiry into the laws
of nature, and the powers of perception possessed by the subjective
entity. When the soul is freed from its physical trammels it ascends
to its native realm of truth, and, untrammelled by false suggestions
arising from the imperfect knowledge of the objective mind, it "sees
God as he is;" that is, it apprehends all his laws, and imbibes truth
from its Eternal Source.
It must not be forgotten in this connection that the subjective mind
is the soul, or spirit, and is itself an organized entity, possessing
independent powers and functions; while the objective mind is merely
the function of the physical brain, and possesses no powers whatever
independently of the physical organization. The one possesses dynamic
force independently of the body; the other does not. The one is capable
of sustaining an existence independently of the body; the other dies
with it. It is just here that the ancient philosophers made their
greatest error; and that error has been transmitted down through
all the ages. They recognized the dual character of the mind, but
saw no fundamental difference in the functions of the two minds. It
never occurred to them that there was, or could be, any limitation of
power in either that was not common to both. They recognized man as
a trinity, the three elements of which are "body, soul, and spirit."
The soul, in their system of philosophy, corresponds to the objective
mind, and the spirit to the subjective mind. They considered only the
functions of the two minds as minds, and constantly regarded the
two as possessing only co-ordinate powers. Or, if they regarded them
as entities, they considered that while each was an entity, it was,
somehow, inseparably joined to the other in function and destiny.
Hence, according to their philosophy, if one survived the death of
the body, both must survive it. This fundamental error shows itself,
in various forms, in every system of philosophy, from Plato down; and
it will continue to breed confusion and uncertainty in the human mind
until the fact is recognized that the subjective mind, or spirit, as
Plato designates it, is a distinct entity, possessing independent
powers and functions; whereas the objective mind, or the "soul," of
the ancient philosopher, is merely the function of the physical brain.
This latter proposition is demonstrated by every consideration of its
powers, functions, and limitations. Its powers wholly depend upon the
physical condition of the brain. They decline as the body weakens.
They become deranged and useless as the brain becomes disorganized
from physical causes. Its distinctive functions pertain solely to
physical existence. It has the power of independent inductive reasoning
to compensate for its total want of power to perceive by intuition.
But, as I have already pointed out, inductive reasoning is merely
a laborious method of inquiry, and pertains wholly to our physical
existence. It would be as useless to the spirit in an existence where
all truth is perceived by intuition, as a tallow-dip in the full blaze
of a noonday sun. It may be set down as a maxim in spiritual philosophy
that there is not one power or function of the objective mind which
distinguishes it from those of the subjective entity, that could be of
any service to the latter when it is freed from its earthly environment.
The peculiar functions of the physical brain are therefore no more
entitled to be considered as an immortal entity, or as any necessary
part or function of an immortal entity, than are the physical functions
of deglutition or digestion, or the physical power of pedal locomotion.
It is not for man to question the wisdom of God in so ordaining the
relations of the soul to the body as to subordinate the eternal to the
perishable. But it is man's duty so to exercise his powers of induction
as to ascertain those relations; and, having done so according to
his best lights, so to order his conduct as to do his whole duty to
himself and his Creator. As we find those relations exist, the whole
responsibility rests upon the objective man. He is a free moral agent,
and has it in his power to train his soul for weal or woe, for this
life and for eternity.
It is of the relations which exist between objective and subjective
man in this life that I propose to offer a few practical suggestions
at this time. I have already shown that the normal functions of the
subjective mind are apparently limited to the preservation of human
life and the perpetuation of the human race. These functions are
manifested in what are known as instincts. The first is the instinct
of self-preservation; the second is the instinct of reproduction;
and the third pertains to the preservation of the offspring. In the
last may be included the instinctive desire to preserve human life
generally. Outside of these limits all phenomenal subjective mental
activity appears to be abnormal. I say _appears_ to be abnormal, for
the reason that we have no means of judging, except from a consensus
of facts. The facts which pertain to the subject can be found in the
greatest abundance in spiritistic circles, for the reason that it is
there that subjective activity is greatest in modern times. I venture
to say that no one of the better class of spiritists will deny the fact
that most professional mediums eventually become physical wrecks; many
are overtaken by mental derangement, and some by a moral degradation
too loathsome to be described. Few, if any, escape serious physical
trouble. This, of itself, is sufficient evidence of abnormality,
and should serve as a warning against the too frequent exercise of
subjective power. The majority of spiritistic mediums are more or less
afflicted with nervous disorders, and many of them are hysterical to
the last degree. Most of them complain of extreme nervous exhaustion
after a séance, and many require days to recover from the effects of a
prolonged exercise of subjective power. It may be said that I mistake
the cause for the effect; that is, that it may be only weak and nervous
physical organisms that are capable of exercising subjective power. I
am aware that the question is not free from difficulty, and that one
is liable to fall into error in discussing a subject that is so little
understood. The fact remains, nevertheless, that nervous disorders and
mediumship are generally associated, and that fact alone is indicative
of abnormality. Whether we are to regard the exercise of subjective
power as productive of abnormal physical conditions, or are to suppose
that it requires an abnormal physical organism to produce subjective
phenomena, matters little. The conclusion must be the same,--that the
exercise of subjective power is abnormal, and should be avoided until
more is known of the proper conditions of its exercise than has yet
been discovered.
There is a further difficulty attending the consideration of this
subject which must not be lost sight of, and that is the question how
far suggestion may enter as a factor in the case. It is well known
that some mesmeric healers fancy that "they take on the conditions of
the patient," as they phrase it. That is, they feel the symptoms which
afflict the patient. There is no question of the fact that those who
enter upon the treatment of a case with that idea firmly fixed in their
minds will experience the anticipated sensations, often to a marked
degree. But late scientific experiments disclose the fact that such
phenomena are always the effect of suggestion. The physical exhaustion
which some healers feel after the treatment of a case is also
largely due to suggestion. These effects may always be counteracted
by a vigorous auto-suggestion; and, moreover, the same means may be
effectively employed to produce exactly the opposite effects upon
the operator. That is to say, the mental healer, by whatever method
he does his work, may always cause his treatment of a patient to
redound to his own benefit, as well as to that of the patient, by the
exercise of the power of auto-suggestion. It is therefore impossible
to say just how far suggestion enters as a factor in the production of
untoward physical results from the exercise of mediumistic power. It
is certainly traditional among the fraternity that nervous exhaustion
ensues from its exercise, and the results are appalling. How far the
effects may be counteracted by intelligent auto-suggestion, remains
to be settled by the process of evolution. There is, however, little
hope of any change for the better so long as the spiritistic medium
believes himself to be under the domination of an extraneous force
which is beyond his control, and the effects of which he is powerless
to mitigate.
This phase of the subject is, however, of little importance compared
with the mental effects produced by the too persistent exercise of the
subjective faculties in the production of phenomena. Again we must draw
our illustrations from spiritistic circles. It is undeniable that the
tendency of mediumship is to unhinge the mind, to destroy the mental
balance, and often to produce the worst forms of insanity. And it is
noticeable that the more thoroughly sincere the medium is in his belief
in the genuineness of his power to evoke the spirits of the dead, the
greater is the tendency to insanity. The reason is obvious. If he
sincerely believes himself to be under the control of an extraneous
power, he yields implicit obedience to that power; especially if it
assumes to be a superior mentality, as it generally does. Instead of
assuming control of the power, he allows it to control him. As a matter
of course, he is ignorant of the laws pertaining to it. He is ignorant
of the fact that the force which controls him resides within himself,
and is not a superior being commissioned from Heaven to convey a
message from the Source of all knowledge. He is dazed by its wonderful
exhibitions of superior intelligence, is captivated by its eloquence,
and awed by its assumption of authority. In short, he knows nothing of
its source, or the limitations of its powers of reasoning. The result
is that he yields implicit obedience to its guidance in all things. His
reason has abdicated its throne and abandoned its functions, and he is
at the mercy of his subjective mind, which, in turn, is controlled by
the false suggestions of his own disorganized and subjugated objective
intelligence. His physical degeneracy keeps pace with his mental
decline, his whole nervous system is prostrated by excessive exercise
of subjective power, and too frequently the end is acute mania or
drivelling imbecility.
One of the most fascinating and seductive forms of subjective mental
activity is exhibited in trance, or inspirational, speaking. A medium
of fair intelligence and some education, obtained, perhaps, by
desultory reading of spiritistic and miscellaneous literature, develops
himself into an inspirational speaker. As a sincere spiritist, he
believes himself to be controlled by some great spirit who in life
was celebrated for his eloquence. He ascends the rostrum and amazes
his audience by his wonderful oratory, his marvellous command of the
resources of his mind, and, above all, by the clearness and cogency of
his reasoning. Those who have known him before and are aware of the
limits of his education are the most surprised of all, and no argument
can convince them that he is not inspired by some almost superhuman
intelligence from another world. They know nothing of the wonders of
subjective mental power; they have no knowledge of the perfection of
subjective memory, which gives the speaker perfect command of all he
has ever read, or of the logical exactitude of the deductive reasoning
of the subjective intelligence. The speaker, on his part, finds himself
in possession of such wonderful powers and resources, emanating, as
he believes, from an extraneous source, abandons his old pursuits,
and devotes himself to the work of his inspiration. It is an easy
and pleasurable existence for the time being. He finds that there is
no need of taking thought of what he is to say, for ideas, and words
with which to clothe them, flow from him like a mountain torrent. He
finds himself in possession of knowledge which he has no objective
recollection of ever having acquired, and of ideas which were foreign
to his objective intelligence. He believes, and, from his standpoint,
has every reason to believe, that he is inspired by some lofty spirit
whose knowledge is unlimited and whose resources are unfailing. He
feels that he has no need of further reading or study, and the work of
objective intellectual labor soon becomes a drudgery. The result is
that his objective intellectual growth soon comes to a stand-still,
and at length his objective intellect begins to deteriorate. In the
mean time his subjective powers may continue to grow in brilliancy
for a time, or at least they shine with a new lustre, as they are
compared with the deepening dulness of his objective intellect.
At length he becomes fitful, erratic, eccentric. As his objective
powers deteriorate, they no longer have any semblance of control
over his subjective mind. The suggestions which reason, in its best
estate, may have given to his subjective mind, as a starting-point
for his discourses, are no longer available, for his power to reason
is failing. His friends, who follow him from place to place, begin
to notice that he talks one thing at one place, and the opposite at
another. They attribute the fact to the control of different spirits at
different times, and for a time they are consoled. Eventually the fact
is forced upon them that in his normal, or objective, condition he is
growing more and more erratic, and that at times his conversation is
the merest drivel. As in all the other forms of subjective development
mentioned, his physical deterioration keeps pace with his mental
decline. In the mean time his subjective powers appear to deteriorate.
It is not true, in fact, that his subject mind, _per se_, deteriorates,
for that is impossible. But as it is always controlled by suggestion,
it necessarily takes its cue from the suggestions conveyed to it by
the objective mind. When that ceases to develop, the subjective mind
keeps on in its old rut, for the obvious reason that no new ideas
are imparted to it. When the objective mind begins to deteriorate,
its suggestions are no longer coherent, and the subjective mind is
necessarily incoherent in exact proportion. Its deductions from a false
or imbecile suggestion will be logically correct; but, as a matter
of course, a false, extravagant, or imbecile premise, followed to
its legitimate, logical conclusion, necessarily leads the mind into a
corresponding maze of extravagance and imbecility. It is therefore no
indication of a decline of subjective powers, but it is a demonstration
of the universality of the law of suggestion. It goes without saying
that if an inspirational speaker were aware of the source of his power,
and of the laws which govern it, and would constantly keep it under the
control of his reason, he could utilize it to the very best advantage.
A cultured man of well-balanced intellect would then formulate his own
premises according to the best lights obtainable through the processes
of inductive reasoning, and "inspiration would do the rest." If his
premises were correct, the subjective mind could always be depended
upon to deduce the correct conclusions, and to illustrate them by
drawing upon the resources of its perfect memory of all that the
individual has ever seen, heard, or read bearing upon the subject.
Such a man would be known as a man of "genius," in whatever direction
he exercised his powers. And just in proportion to the natural powers
and cultivation of his objective mind and the extent of his objective
information would his subjective manifestations be brilliant and
powerful.
I do not say that such an exercise of subjective power would not be
abnormal and productive of untoward physical consequences. Men of
genius in all ages of the world have unconsciously exercised this
power. But men of genius the world over have been too often noted for
abnormalities of character and conduct. Profane history furnishes but
one example where a man of genius appears to have been in possession of
objective and subjective powers perfectly balanced, and who was able to
utilize his enormous objective advantages, resulting from constant and
intimate association with the greatest minds of his generation, in the
subjective production of works which must always stand pre-eminent. It
is unnecessary to say that I allude to Shakspeare. So little is known
of his private life that it is impossible to judge whether abnormal
physical effects resulted from his labors. But his works are full of
internal evidence that his subjective powers were under the constant
control of a well-trained and perfectly balanced objective intellect.
It is of course impossible to say just how far subjective power might,
normally, be employed in the direction indicated, in the absolute
dearth of examples where it has been employed with a full knowledge
of the laws which govern it. But certain it is that so long as it is
exercised under the delusion that it is an extraneous and superior
power, over which the objective man possesses no control, just so
long will the victim of the delusion be subject to the caprice of an
irresponsible power, which will eventually drive him to the horrors of
insanity or leave him in the darkness of imbecility.
Of greater importance than either the physical or mental deterioration
of the one who habitually exercises subjective power in the production
of phenomena, is the moral aspect of the question. One may escape
serious physical consequences of mediumship, or he may succeed in
maintaining a sufficient outward semblance of mental equilibrium to
keep out of the insane asylum; but no well-informed spiritist of the
better class will attempt to deny or weaken the force of the statement
that a mephitic moral atmosphere surrounds the average spiritistic
medium. I do not assert by any means that all mediums are immoral. On
the contrary, there are many noble men and pure women who habitually
exercise mediumistic power. Otherwise, the tendency to looseness of
morals which characterizes so many of them would be difficult to
account for on other than physiological grounds. Books have been
written to account for this tendency, on the hypothesis that immorality
is a consequence of the nervous derangement which follows the practice
of mediumship. This hypothesis necessarily presupposes the invariable
connection of immorality with a nervous disorder, and the latter with
mediumship. The common experience of mankind may be invoked to prove
that there is no invariable connection of the kind existing. Another
cause must therefore be sought for the too-frequent association of
immorality with mediumship.
Those who have followed me in my brief analysis of the causes which
conspire to bring about the mental deterioration of the spiritistic
medium will anticipate me in what I have to say concerning the causes
of the moral degradation of the same class. The medium, if he is
sincere in his professions of belief in the alleged communication of
spirits of the dead through him, believes himself to be under the
care and control of a higher and purer mentality than his own. He
believes in its lofty assumptions of mental and moral superiority, and
he becomes accustomed to ask its advice in all things pertaining to
his personal well-being. He frequently finds its advice to be of the
best, and he gradually accustoms himself to submit to its guidance in
all things. He assumes and believes that in the clearer light of the
world of spirits many of the artificialities of mundane civilization
are held in pitying contempt, and he frequently comes to believe
that many of the restraints of human society are purely artificial,
and have no foundation in true morality or religion. He generally
regards himself as a reformer, having broken away from the orthodox
creed, and becomes the advocate of a new religion. Like most radical
reformers who find the world all wrong in one respect, he immediately
assumes that it is wrong in everything; and nothing will satisfy his
ambition short of destroying the whole fabric of civilized society, and
instituting a new order of things more suited to his ideas of human
progress and felicity. It all too frequently happens that one of the
first "artificial" institutions of society which becomes the object of
private attack by the spiritual medium is the marriage relation. He
sees much domestic infelicity surrounding him, and is perhaps tired
of the restraints which it imposes upon himself, and he consults his
spirit guide as to the propriety of setting at defiance the laws of
human society in that regard. Now, if his "spirit guide" were what he
believed it to be, or what it assumed to be,--a pure and lofty spirit,
disenthralled from the temptations and weaknesses of the flesh, and
drawing inspiration from the society of just men made perfect,--there
could be no doubt of the character of the advice it would give him.
But, being the medium's own subjective entity, bound by the laws of its
being to control by the power of suggestion, it necessarily follows the
line of thought which is uppermost in the medium's objective mind, and
it gives the advice most desired. Moreover, from the premises suggested
by the unhallowed lusts of the medium, it will frame an argument so
plausible and convincing to his willing mind that he will fancy that,
in following the advice of his "control," he is obeying the holiest
impulses implanted in his nature by a God of love.
I do not charge spiritists as a class with being advocates of the
doctrines of free love. On the contrary, I am aware that, as a class,
they hold the marriage relation in sacred regard. I cannot forget,
however, that but a few years ago some of their leading advocates
and mediums proclaimed the doctrine of free love in all its hideous
deformity from every platform in the land. Nor do I fail to remember
that the better class of spiritists everywhere repudiated the doctrine
and denounced its advocates and exemplars. Nevertheless, the moral
virus took effect here and there all over the country, and it is doing
its deadly work in secret in many an otherwise happy home. And I charge
a large and constantly growing class of professional mediums with being
the leading propagandists of the doctrine of free love. They infest
every community in the land, and it is well known to all men and women
who are dissatisfied or unhappy in their marriage relations that they
can always find sympathy by consulting the average medium, and can,
moreover, find justification for illicit love by invoking the spirits
of the dead through such mediums.
As before remarked, I do not charge mediums as a class with immoral
practices, nor do I say that the exercise of subjective power, _per
se_, has a tendency to induce immoral practices. What I do say is, that
through a want of knowledge of the laws which pertain to subjective
mental activity, the one who exercises that power in the form of
mediumship is in constant danger of being led astray. He invokes a
power that he knows nothing of,--a power which may, at any time, turn
and rend him.
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.
It should be remembered always that the power of the subjective entity
is the most potential force in nature, and when intelligently directed
the most beneficent. But, like every other power in nature misdirected,
its destructive force is equally potent.
In conclusion, I desire again to impress upon the reader the absolute
necessity of always holding the subjective entity under the positive
domination of objective reason; and I here repeat, what I have
again and again sought to enforce, that insanity consists in the
usurpation by the subjective mind of the throne of reason. The terrible
potentialities of the subjective entity are as much to be feared as
admired, and no faculty that it possesses is more to be dreaded and
guarded against than its awful power and inexorable exactitude of
logical deduction, when reasoning from premises that have not been
demonstrated by the processes of induction.
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