“3d。Asortofinnervisionofmyselfasafour-footedbeastwithaprotuberanceoneverypartofmybodywhereIhadsuffering，withmyownface，beggingmetoacknowledgeitasmyself。Iresolutelyfixedmyattentiononbeingwell，andrefusedtoevenlookatmyoldselfinthisform。
　　“4th。Againthevisionofthebeastfarinthebackground，withfaintvoice。Againrefusaltoacknowledge。
　　“5th。Oncemorethevision，butonlyofmyeyeswiththelonginglook；andagaintherefusal。Thencametheconviction，theinnerconsciousness，thatIwasperfectlywellandalwayshadbeen，forIwasSoul，anexpressionofGod’sPerfectThought。ThatwastometheperfectandcompletedseparationbetweenwhatIwasandwhatIappearedtobe。Isucceededinneverlosingsightafterthisofmyrealbeing，byconstantlyaffirmingthistruth，andbydegreesthoughittookmetwoyearsofhardworktogetthereI
　　expressedhealthcontinuouslythroughoutmywholebody。
　　“Inmysubsequentnineteenyears’experienceIhaveneverknownthisTruthtofailwhenIappliedit，thoughinmyignoranceI
　　haveoftenfailedtoapplyit，butthroughmyfailuresIhavelearnedthesimplicityandtrustfulnessofthelittlechild。”
　　ButIfearthatIrisktiringyoubysomanyexamples，andImustleadyoubacktophilosophicgeneralitiesagain。Youseealreadybysuchrecordsofexperiencehowimpossibleitisnottoclassmind-cureasprimarilyareligiousmovement。ItsdoctrineoftheonenessofourlifewithGod’slifeisinfactquiteindistinguishablefromaninterpretationofChrist’smessagewhichintheseveryGiffordlectureshasbeendefendedbysomeofyourveryablestScottishreligiousphilosophers。[52]
　　[52]TheCairds，forexample。InEdwardCaird’sGlasgowLecturesof1890-92passageslikethisabound：——
　　“ThedeclarationmadeinthebeginningoftheministryofJesusthat’thetimeisfulfilled，andthekingdomofheavenisathand，’passeswithscarceabreakintotheannouncementthat’thekingdomofGodisamongyou’；andtheimportanceofthisannouncementisassertedtobesuchthatitmakes，sotospeak，adifferenceINKINDbetweenthegreatestsaintsandprophetswholivedunderthepreviousreignofdivision，and’theleastinthekingdomofheaven。’Thehighestidealisbroughtclosetomenanddeclaredtobewithintheirreach，theyarecalledontobe’perfectastheirFatherinheavenisperfect。’ThesenseofalienationanddistancefromGodwhichhadgrownuponthepiousinIsraeljustinproportionastheyhadlearnedtolookuponHimasnomerenationaldivinity，butasaGodofjusticewhowouldpunishIsraelforitssinascertainlyasEdomorMoab，isdeclaredtobenolongerinplace；andthetypicalformofChristianprayerpointstotheabolitionofthecontrastbetweenthisworldandthenextwhichthroughallthehistoryoftheJewshadcontinuallybeengrowingwider：’Asinheaven，soonearth。’
　　ThesenseofthedivisionofmanfromGod，asafinitebeingfromtheInfinite，asweakandsinfulfromtheOmnipotentGoodness，isnotindeedlost；butitcannolongeroverpowertheconsciousnessofoneness。Theterms’Son’and’Father’atoncestatetheoppositionandmarkitslimit。Theyshowthatitisnotanabsoluteopposition，butonewhichpresupposesanindestructibleprincipleofunity，thatcanandmustbecomeaprincipleofreconciliation。”TheEvolutionofReligion，ii。pp。146，147。
　　Butphilosophersusuallyprofesstogiveaquasi-logicalexplanationoftheexistenceofevil，whereasofthegeneralfactofevilintheworld，theexistenceoftheselfish，suffering，timorousfiniteconsciousness，themind-curers，sofarasIamacquaintedwiththem，professtogivenospeculativeexplanationEvilisempiricallythereforthemasitisforeverybody，butthepracticalpointofviewpredominates，anditwouldillagreewiththespiritoftheirsystemtospendtimeinworryingoveritasa“mystery“or“problem。”orin“layingtoheart“thelessonofitsexperience，afterthemanneroftheEvangelicals。Don’treasonaboutit，asDantesays，butgiveaglanceandpassbeyond！ItisAvidhya，ignorance！somethingmerelytobeoutgrownandleftbehind，transcendedandforgotten。ChristianScienceso-called，thesectofMrs。Eddy，isthemostradicalbranchofmind-cureinitsdealingswithevil。ForitevilissimplyaLIE，andanyonewhomentionsitisaliar。Theoptimisticidealofdutyforbidsustopayitthecomplimentevenofexplicitattention。Ofcourse，asournextlectureswillshowus，thisisabadspeculativeomission，butitisintimatelylinkedwiththepracticalmeritsofthesystemweareexamining。
　　Whyregretaphilosophyofevil，amind-curerwouldaskus，ifI
　　canputyouinpossessionofalifeofgood？
　　Afterall，itisthelifethattells；andmind-curehasdevelopedalivingsystemofmentalhygienewhichmaywellclaimtohavethrownallpreviousliteratureoftheDiatetitderSeeleintotheshade。Thissystemiswhollyandexclusivelycompactedofoptimism：“Pessimismleadstoweakness。Optimismleadstopower。”“Thoughtsarethings。”asoneofthemostvigorousmind-curewritersprintsinboldtypeatthebottomofeachofhispages；andifyourthoughtsareofhealth，youth，vigor，andsuccess，beforeyouknowitthesethingswillalsobeyouroutwardportion。Noonecanfailoftheregenerativeinfluenceofoptimisticthinking，pertinaciouslypursued。Everymanownsindefeasiblythisinlettothedivine。Fear，onthecontrary，andallthecontractedandegoisticmodesofthought，areinletstodestruction。Mostmind-curersherebringinadoctrinethatthoughtsare“forces。”andthat，byvirtueofalawthatlikeattractslike，oneman’sthoughtsdrawtothemselvesasalliesallthethoughtsofthesamecharacterthatexisttheworldover。
　　Thusonegets，byone’sthinking，reinforcementsfromelsewherefortherealizationofone’sdesires；andthegreatpointintheconductoflifeistogettheheavenlyforcesonone’ssidebyopeningone’sownmindtotheirinflux。
　　Onthewhole，oneisstruckbyapsychologicalsimilaritybetweenthemind-curemovementandtheLutheranandWesleyanmovements。
　　Tothebelieverinmoralismandworks，withhisanxiousquery，“WhatshallIdotobesaved？”LutherandWesleyreplied：“Youaresavednow，ifyouwouldbutbelieveit。”Andthemind-curerscomewithpreciselysimilarwordsofemancipation。Theyspeak，itistrue，topersonsforwhomtheconceptionofsalvationhaslostitsancienttheologicalmeaning，butwholaborneverthelesswiththesameeternalhumandifficulty。THINGSAREWRONGWITH
　　THEM；and“WhatshallIdotobeclear，right，sound，whole，well？”istheformoftheirquestion。Andtheansweris：“YouAREwell，sound，andclearalready，ifyoudidbutknowit。”
　　“Thewholemattermaybesummedupinonesentence。”saysoneoftheauthorswhomIhavealreadyquoted，“GODISWELL，ANDSOARE
　　YOU。Youmustawakentotheknowledgeofyourrealbeing。”
　　Theadequacyoftheirmessagetothementalneedsofalargefractionofmankindiswhatgaveforcetothoseearliergospels。
　　Exactlythesameadequacyholdsinthecaseofthemind-curemessage，foolishasitmaysounduponitssurface；andseeingitsrapidgrowthininfluence，anditstherapeutictriumphs，oneistemptedtoaskwhetheritmaynotbedestinedprobablybyveryreasonofthecrudityandextravaganceofmanyofitsmanifestations[53]toplayapartalmostasgreatintheevolutionofthepopularreligionofthefutureasdidthoseearliermovementsintheirday。
　　[53]ItremainstobeseenwhethertheschoolofMr。Dresser，whichassumesmoreandmoretheformofmind-cureexperienceandacademicphilosophymutuallyimpregnatingeachother，willscorethepracticaltriumphsofthelesscriticalandrationalsects。
　　ButIherefearthatImaybeginto“jaruponthenerves“ofsomeofthemembersofthisacademicaudience。Suchcontemporaryvagaries，youmaythink，shouldhardlytakesolargeaplaceindignifiedGiffordlectures。Icanonlybeseechyoutohavepatience。Thewholeoutcomeoftheselectureswill，Iimagine，betheemphasizingtoyourmindoftheenormousdiversitieswhichthespirituallivesofdifferentmenexhibit。Theirwants，theirsusceptibilities，andtheircapacitiesallvaryandmustbeclassedunderdifferentheads。Theresultisthatwehavereallydifferenttypesofreligiousexperience；and，seekingintheselecturescloseracquaintancewiththehealthy-mindedtype，wemusttakeitwherewefinditinmostradicalform。Thepsychologyofindividualtypesofcharacterhashardlybeguneventobesketchedasyet——ourlecturesmaypossiblyserveasacrumb-likecontributiontothestructure。Thefirstthingtobearinmindespeciallyifweourselvesbelongtotheclerico-academic-scientifictype，theofficiallyandconventionally“correct“type，“thedeadlyrespectable“type，forwhichtoignoreothersisabesettingtemptationisthatnothingcanbemorestupidthantobaroutphenomenafromournotice，merelybecauseweareincapableoftakingpartinanythinglikethemourselves。
　　NowthehistoryofLutheransalvationbyfaith，ofmethodisticconversions，andofwhatIcallthemind-curemovementseemstoprovetheexistenceofnumerouspersonsinwhom——atanyrateatacertainstageintheirdevelopment——achangeofcharacterforthebetter，sofarfrombeingfacilitatedbytheruleslaiddownbyofficialmoralists，willtakeplaceallthemoresuccessfullyifthoserulesbeexactlyreversed。Officialmoralistsadviseusnevertorelaxourstrenuousness。“Bevigilant，dayandnight。”
　　theyadjureus；“holdyourpassivetendenciesincheck；shrinkfromnoeffort；keepyourwilllikeabowalwaysbent。”ButthepersonsIspeakoffindthatallthisconsciouseffortleadstonothingbutfailureandvexationintheirhands，andonlymakesthemtwofoldmorethechildrenofhelltheywerebefore。Thetenseandvoluntaryattitudebecomesinthemanimpossiblefeverandtorment。Theirmachineryrefusestorunatallwhenthebearingsaremadesohotandthebeltssotight。
　　Underthesecircumstancesthewaytosuccess，asvouchedforbyinnumerableauthenticpersonalnarrations，isbyananti-moralisticmethod，bythe“surrender“ofwhichIspokeinmysecondlecture。Passivity，notactivity；relaxation，notintentness，shouldbenowtherule。Giveupthefeelingofresponsibility，letgoyourhold，resignthecareofyourdestinytohigherpowers，begenuinelyindifferentastowhatbecomesofitall，andyouwillfindnotonlythatyougainaperfectinwardrelief，butoftenalso，inaddition，theparticulargoodsyousincerelythoughtyouwererenouncing。Thisisthesalvationthroughself-despair，thedyingtobetrulyborn，ofLutherantheology，thepassageintoNOTHINGofwhichJacobBehmenwrites。
　　Togettoit，acriticalpointmustusuallybepassed，acornerturnedwithinone。Somethingmustgiveway，anativehardnessmustbreakdownandliquefy；andthiseventasweshallabundantlyseehereafterisfrequentlysuddenandautomatic，andleavesontheSubjectanimpressionthathehasbeenwroughtonbyanexternalpower。
　　Whateveritsultimatesignificancemayprovetobe，thisiscertainlyonefundamentalformofhumanexperience。Somesaythatthecapacityorincapacityforitiswhatdividesthereligiousfromthemerelymoralisticcharacter。Withthosewhoundergoitinitsfullness，nocriticismavailstocastdoubtonitsreality。TheyKNOW；fortheyhaveactuallyFELTthehigherpowers，ingivingupthetensionoftheirpersonalwill。
　　Astorywhichrevivalistpreachersoftentellisthatofamanwhofoundhimselfatnightslippingdownthesideofaprecipice。
　　Atlasthecaughtabranchwhichstoppedhisfall，andremainedclingingtoitinmiseryforhours。Butfinallyhisfingershadtoloosetheirhold，andwithadespairingfarewelltolife，helethimselfdrop。Hefelljustsixinches。Ifhehadgivenupthestruggleearlier，hisagonywouldhavebeenspared。Asthemotherearthreceivedhim，so，thepreacherstellus，willtheeverlastingarmsreceiveusifweconfideabsolutelyinthem，andgiveupthehereditaryhabitofrelyingonourpersonalstrength，withitsprecautionsthatcannotshelterandsafeguardsthatneversave。
　　Themind-curershavegiventhewidestscopetothissortofexperience。Theyhavedemonstratedthataformofregenerationbyrelaxing，bylettinggo，psychologicallyindistinguishablefromtheLutheranjustificationbyfaithandtheWesleyanacceptanceoffreegrace，iswithinthereachofpersonswhohavenoconvictionofsinandcarenothingfortheLutherantheology。
　　Itisbutgivingyourlittleprivateconvulsiveselfarest，andfindingthatagreaterSelfisthere。Theresults，sloworsudden，orgreatorsmall，ofthecombinedoptimismandexpectancy，theregenerativephenomenawhichensueontheabandonmentofeffort，remainfirmfactsofhumannature，nomatterwhetherweadoptatheistic，apantheistic-idealistic，oramedical-materialisticviewoftheirultimatecausalexplanation。[54]