Whenwereachthesubjectofmysticism,youwillundergosodeepanimmersionintotheseexaltedstatesofconsciousnessastobewetallover,ifImaysoexpressmyself;andthecoldshiverofdoubtwithwhichthislittlesprinklingmayaffectyouwillhavelongsincepassedaway——doubt,Imean,astowhetherallsuchwritingbenotmereabstracttalkandrhetoricsetdownpourencouragerlesautres。Youwillthenbeconvinced,Itrust,thatthesestatesofconsciousnessof“union“formaperfectlydefiniteclassofexperiences,ofwhichthesoulmayoccasionallypartake,andwhichcertainpersonsmaylivebyinadeepersensethantheylivebyanythingelsewithwhichtheyhaveacquaintance。ThisbringsmetoageneralphilosophicalreflectionwithwhichIshouldliketopassfromthesubjectofhealthy-mindedness,andcloseatopicwhichIfearisalreadyonlytoolongdrawnout。Itconcernstherelationofallthissystematizedhealthy-mindednessandmind-curereligiontoscientificmethodandthescientificlife。
InalaterlectureIshallhavetotreatexplicitlyoftherelationofreligiontoscienceontheonehand,andtoprimevalsavagethoughtontheother。Thereareplentyofpersonsto-day——“scientists“or“positivists。”theyarefondofcallingthemselves——whowilltellyouthatreligiousthoughtisameresurvival,anatavisticreversiontoatypeofconsciousnesswhichhumanityinitsmoreenlightenedexampleshaslongsinceleftbehindandout-grown。Ifyouaskthemtoexplainthemselvesmorefully,theywillprobablysaythatforprimitivethoughteverythingisconceivedofundertheformofpersonality。Thesavagethinksthatthingsoperatebypersonalforces,andforthesakeofindividualends。Forhim,evenexternalnatureobeysindividualneedsandclaims,justasiftheseweresomanyelementarypowers。Nowscience,ontheotherhand,thesepositivistssay,hasprovedthatpersonality,sofarfrombeinganelementaryforceinnature,isbutapassiveresultantofthereallyelementaryforces,physical,chemical,physiological,andpsycho-physical,whichareallimpersonalandgeneralincharacter。Nothingindividualaccomplishesanythingintheuniversesaveinsofarasitobeysandexemplifiessomeuniversallaw。Shouldyoutheninquireofthembywhatmeanssciencehasthussupplantedprimitivethought,anddiscrediteditspersonalwayoflookingatthings,theywouldundoubtedlysayithasbeenbythestrictuseofthemethodofexperimentalverification。Followoutscience’sconceptionspractically,theywillsay,theconceptionsthatignorepersonalityaltogether,andyouwillalwaysbecorroborated。Theworldissomadethatallyourexpectationswillbeexperientiallyverifiedsolong,andonlysolong,asyoukeepthetermsfromwhichyouinferthemimpersonalanduniversal。
Butherewehavemind-cure,withherdiametricallyoppositephilosophy,settingupanexactlyidenticalclaim。LiveasifI
weretrue,shesays,andeverydaywillpracticallyproveyouright。Thatthecontrollingenergiesofnaturearepersonal,thatyourownpersonalthoughtsareforces,thatthepowersoftheuniversewilldirectlyrespondtoyourindividualappealsandneeds,arepropositionswhichyourwholebodilyandmentalexperiencewillverify。Andthatexperiencedoeslargelyverifytheseprimevalreligiousideasisprovedbythefactthatthemind-curemovementspreadsasitdoes,notbyproclamationandassertionsimply,butbypalpableexperientialresults。Here,intheveryheydayofscience’sauthority,itcarriesonanaggressivewarfareagainstthescientificphilosophy,andsucceedsbyusingscience’sownpeculiarmethodsandweapons。
Believingthatahigherpowerwilltakecareofusincertainwaysbetterthanwecantakecareofourselves,ifweonlygenuinelythrowourselvesuponitandconsenttouseit,itfindsthebelief,notonlynotimpugned,butcorroboratedbyitsobservation。
Howconversionsarethusmade,andconvertsconfirmed,isevidentenoughfromthenarrativeswhichIhavequoted。Iwillquoteyetanothercoupleofshorteronestogivethematteraperfectlyconcreteturn。Hereisone:——
“OneofmyfirstexperiencesinapplyingmyteachingwastwomonthsafterIfirstsawthehealer。Ifell,sprainingmyrightankle,whichIhaddoneoncefouryearsbefore,havingthenhadtouseacrutchandelasticankletforsomemonths,andcarefullyguardingiteversince。AssoonasIwasonmyfeetImadethepositivesuggestionandfeltitthroughallmybeing:’ThereisnothingbutGod,andalllifecomesfromhimperfectly。I
cannotbesprainedorhurt,Iwilllethimtakecareofit。’
Well,Ineverhadasensationinit,andIwalkedtwomilesthatday。”
Thenextcasenotonlyillustratesexperimentandverification,butalsotheelementofpassivityandsurrenderofwhichawhileagoImadesuchaccount。
“Iwentintotowntodosomeshoppingonemorning,andIhadnotbeengonelongbeforeIbegantofeelill。Theillfeelingincreasedrapidly,untilIhadpainsinallmybones,nauseaandfaintness,headache,allthesymptomsinshortthatprecedeanattackofinfluenza。IthoughtthatIwasgoingtohavethegrippe,epidemictheninBoston,orsomethingworse。Themind-cureteachingsthatIhadbeenlisteningtoallthewinterthereuponcameintomymind,andIthoughtthatherewasanopportunitytotestmyself。OnmywayhomeImetafriend,I
refrainedwithsomeeffortfromtellingherhowIfelt。Thatwasthefirststepgained。Iwenttobedimmediately,andmyhusbandwishedtosendforthedoctor。ButItoldhimthatIwouldratherwaituntilmorningandseehowIfelt。Thenfollowedoneofthemostbeautifulexperiencesofmylife。
“IcannotexpressitinanyotherwaythantosaythatIdid’liedowninthestreamoflifeandletitflowoverme。’Igaveupallfearofanyimpendingdisease;Iwasperfectlywillingandobedient。Therewasnointellectualeffort,ortrainofthought。
Mydominantideawas:’BeholdthehandmaidoftheLord:beituntomeevenasthouwilt,’andaperfectconfidencethatallwouldbewell,thatallWASwell。Thecreativelifewasflowingintomeeveryinstant,andIfeltmyselfalliedwiththeInfinite,inharmony,andfullofthepeacethatpassethunderstanding。Therewasnoplaceinmymindforajarringbody。
Ihadnoconsciousnessoftimeorspaceorpersons;butonlyofloveandhappinessandfaith。
“Idonotknowhowlongthisstatelasted,norwhenIfellasleep;butwhenIwokeupinthemorning,IWASWELL。”
Theseareexceedinglytrivialinstances,[64]butinthem,ifwehaveanythingatall,wehavethemethodofexperimentandverification。ForthepointIamdrivingatnow,itmakesnodifferencewhetheryouconsiderthepatientstobedeludedvictimsoftheirimaginationornot。ThattheyseemedtoTHEMSELVEStohavebeencuredbytheexperimentstriedwasenoughtomakethemconvertstothesystem。Andalthoughitisevidentthatonemustbeofacertainmentalmouldtogetsuchresultsfornoteveryonecangetthuscuredtohisownsatisfactionanymorethaneveryonecanbecuredbythefirstregularpractitionerwhomhecallsin,yetitwouldsurelybepedanticandover-scrupulousforthosewhoCANgettheirsavageandprimitivephilosophyofmentalhealingverifiedinsuchexperimentalwaysasthis,togivethemupatwordofcommandformorescientifictherapeutics。
Whatarewetothinkofallthis?Hassciencemadetoowideaclaim?
[64]SeeAppendixtothislecturefortwoothercasesfurnishedmebyfriends。
Ibelievethattheclaimsofthesectarianscientistare,tosaytheleast,premature。Theexperienceswhichwehavebeenstudyingduringthishourandagreatmanyotherkindsofreligiousexperiencesarelikethemplainlyshowtheuniversetobeamoremany-sidedaffairthananysect,eventhescientificsect,allowsfor。What,intheend,areallourverificationsbutexperiencesthatagreewithmoreorlessisolatedsystemsofideasconceptualsystemsthatourmindshaveframed?Butwhyinthenameofcommonsenseneedweassumethatonlyonesuchsystemofideascanbetrue?Theobviousoutcomeofourtotalexperienceisthattheworldcanbehandledaccordingtomanysystemsofideas,andissohandledbydifferentmen,andwilleachtimegivesomecharacteristickindofprofit,forwhichhecares,tothehandler,whileatthesametimesomeotherkindofprofithastobeomittedorpostponed。Sciencegivestoallofustelegraphy,electriclighting,anddiagnosis,andsucceedsinpreventingandcuringacertainamountofdisease。Religionintheshapeofmind-curegivestosomeofusserenity,moralpoise,andhappiness,andpreventscertainformsofdiseaseaswellassciencedoes,orevenbetterinacertainclassofpersons。
Evidently,then,thescienceandthereligionarebothofthemgenuinekeysforunlockingtheworld’streasure-housetohimwhocanuseeitherofthempractically。Justasevidentlyneitherisexhaustiveorexclusiveoftheother’ssimultaneoususe。Andwhy,afterall,maynottheworldbesocomplexastoconsistofmanyinterpenetratingspheresofreality,whichwecanthusapproachinalternationbyusingdifferentconceptionsandassumingdifferentattitudes,justasmathematicianshandlethesamenumericalandspatialfactsbygeometry,byanalyticalgeometry,byalgebra,bythecalculus,orbyquaternions,andeachtimecomeoutright?Onthisviewreligionandscience,eachverifiedinitsownwayfromhourtohourandfromlifetolife,wouldbeco-eternal。Primitivethought,withitsbeliefinindividualizedpersonalforces,seemsatanyrateasfaraseverfrombeingdrivenbysciencefromthefieldto-day。Numbersofeducatedpeoplestillfinditthedirectestexperimentalchannelbywhichtocarryontheirintercoursewithreality。[65]
[65]Whetherthevariousspheresorsystemsareevertofuseintegrallyintooneabsoluteconception,asmostphilosophersassumethattheymust,andhow,ifso,thatconceptionmaybestbereached,arequestionsthatonlythefuturecananswer。Whatiscertainnowisthefactoflinesofdisparateconception,eachcorrespondingtosomepartoftheworld’struth,eachverifiedinsomedegree,eachleavingoutsomepartofrealexperience。
Thecaseofmind-curelaysoreadytomyhandthatIcouldnotresistthetemptationofusingittobringtheselasttruthshometoyourattention,butImustcontentmyselfto-daywiththisverybriefindication。Inalaterlecturetherelationsofreligionbothtoscienceandtoprimitivethoughtwillhavetoreceivemuchmoreexplicitattention——
APPENDIX
Seenote[64]。
CASEI。“Myownexperienceisthis:Ihadlongbeenill,andoneofthefirstresultsofmyillness,adozenyearsbefore,hadbeenadiplopiawhichdeprivedmeoftheuseofmyeyesforreadingandwritingalmostentirely,whilealateronehadbeentoshutmeoutfromexerciseofanykindunderpenaltyofimmediateandgreatexhaustion。IhadbeenunderthecareofdoctorsofthehigheststandingbothinEuropeandAmerica,meninwhosepowertohelpmeIhadhadgreatfaith,withnoorillresult。Then,atatimewhenIseemedtoberatherrapidlylosingground,Iheardsomethingsthatgavemeinterestenoughinmentalhealingtomakemetryit;Ihadnogreathopeofgettinganygoodfromit——itwasaCHANCEItried,partlybecausemythoughtwasinterestedbythenewpossibilityitseemedtoopen,partlybecauseitwastheonlychanceIthencouldsee。IwenttoXinBoston,fromwhomsomefriendsofminehadgot,orthoughttheyhadgot,greathelp;thetreatmentwasasilentone;littlewassaid,andthatlittlecarriednoconvictiontomymind,whateverinfluencewasexertedwasthatofanotherperson’sthoughtorfeelingsilentlyprojectedontomyunconsciousmind,intomynervoussystemasitwere,aswesatstilltogether。IbelievedfromthestartinthePOSSIBILITYofsuchaction,forIknewthepowerofthemindtoshape,helpingorhindering,thebody’snerve-activities,andIthoughttelepathyprobable,althoughunproved,butIhadnobeliefinitasmorethanapossibility,andnostrongconvictionnoranymysticorreligiousfaithconnectedwithmythoughtofitthatmighthavebroughtimaginationstronglyintoplay。
“Isatquietlywiththehealerforhalfanhoureachday,atfirstwithnoresult;then,aftertendaysorso,Ibecamequitesuddenlyandswiftlyconsciousofatideofnewenergyrisingwithinme,asenseofpowertopassbeyondoldhalting-places,ofpowertobreaktheboundsthat,thoughoftentriedbefore,hadlongbeenveritablewallsaboutmylife,toohightoclimb。I
begantoreadandwalkasIhadnotdoneforyears,andthechangewassudden,marked,andunmistakable。Thistideseemedtomountforsomeweeks,threeorfourperhaps,when,summerhavingcome,Icameaway,takingthetreatmentupagainafewmonthslater。TheliftIgotprovedpermanent,andleftmeslowlygaininggroundinsteadoflosing,itbutwiththislifttheinfluenceseemedinawaytohavespentitself,and,thoughmyconfidenceintherealityofthepowerhadgainedimmenselyfromthisfirstexperience,andshouldhavehelpedmetomakefurthergaininhealthandstrengthifmybeliefinithadbeenthepotentfactorthere,IneverafterthisgotanyresultatallasstrikingorasclearlymarkedasthiswhichcamewhenImadetrialofitfirst,withlittlefaithanddoubtfulexpectation。
Itisdifficulttoputalltheevidenceinsuchamatterintowords,togatherupintoadistinctstatementallthatonebasesone’sconclusionson,butIhavealwaysfeltthatIhadabundantevidencetojustifytomyself,atleasttheconclusionthatI