SELF-HEALING BY THOUGHT FORCE/PART 1

 

LESSON ONE.

THE HEALING FORCE

In taking up the question of Self-Healing I should say first, that to me all the various methods of healing by the power of the mind are but different forms of applying the same force. I think that the several practitioners of Suggestive Therapeutics, Mental Science, Christian Science, Faith Cure and all the rest, are using the same great force, the only difference being in the method of application. Of course, this statement will be at once vigorously disputed by the earnest advocates of this method and that, each of whom will claim his particular way is the only real way, and that all the others are base imitations. Nonsense! Nobody has a monopoly of Truth, or a corner on knowing. "Treatments” of every conceivable nature have been given, by all people, in all ages— and all effected cures. It seems to me that I am justified in assuming that all these different methods of cure, including the latter-day methods, have been simply the use of one great force of Nature, and that that great force was latent within the individual treated, and was called into play by the suggestive influence of the various methods and ceremonies employed. Now, do not misunderstand me about this matter of outside influence. I believe that many healers have certain mental qualities, developed by practice, which enable them to call into play the healing power within the organism of the patient, but I also believe that most of the real work is done through the brain, or brains, and great nerve-centers of the patient. The healer arouses the recuperative qualities latent within the organism of the patient. This does not conflict with the idea of absent treatment, mental treatment, magnetic treatment, or any other kind of treatment, but merely assumes that instead of the power of the healer working directly upon the diseased part or organ, it reaches the affected part or organ by way of the patient's brain (or brains) and intelligent nerve centers.

Every man or woman has within him, dormant in many cases, a certain recuperative power capable of restoring lost functions and strength to diseased organs. This power may be aroused by the mental power of the healer, the efforts of the patient himself, faith, ceremonies, "treatments,”

remedies. In many cases this recuperative power is prevented from operating by the influence of Fear in the mind of the patient, and the "treatment” frequently is merely the relieving the patient of his Fearthought and replacing it with Hope and Faith—practically a taking off of the brakes which the patient has placed on Nature's healing processes.

Now the way that Nature accomplished this work is by sending increased nerve-currents to the affected parts, thus stimulating the circulation and restoring lost functioning powers. Of course, you are not conscious of this change going on, as the work is done by the involuntary mental processes working largely through great nerve-centers and the systematic nervous system. You know, of course, that the "blood is the life”—that Nature builds up bodies by means of the blood, which, flowing through the arteries, carries liquid flesh and nourishment to every organ and every part of the body, building, repairing, replenishing, restoring, replacing, nourishing, and which, on its return journey to the heart, carries with it the broken-down tissue, waste products of the system, and much other waste, scraps, discarded material and garbage. No part of the body— no organ—can be healthy and do its work properly, unless it be properly nourished, and the only way it can be nourished is by the blood. Consequently if the blood supply is deficient, or the circulation affected, there is imperfect nourishment and a lack of health—Disease. Now, how does Nature work in order to keep the circulation normal? By means of the nerve-currents sent out from the great Dynamo—the Brain. And now, note how the law of reciprocity comes in. While the circulation is influenced and directed by the nerve-current, the nerves carrying this current, and the brain which generates and sends out this current, are both dependent upon this blood supply for their own nourishment. Note the interdependence of the parts and Nature's law of reciprocity and compensation. You will see how a man having one thing must have another, and how being deficient in one he will lack the other. It is another example of "To him who hath shall be given; to him who hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.” But a man never loses the ability to generate and use his mental reserve force. It may lie dormant and unused, because he knows not how to apply it; it may be kept from working because of the brake he puts upon it; but it is there, ready to be used, all the time.

Now don't forget that this mental brake that man puts on this recuperative force, is largely the result of improper thinking. Fearthought, Hate, Jealousy, are all brakes. Yes, I mean this literally. You all know how the action of the heart is increased or decreased by certain emotions; how the cheek flushes from one emotion and pales with another, thus showing that the circulation is affected by mental states; how the digestion is impaired by unpleasant and sorrowful thoughts; and so on, each showing how the state of the mind will manifest on the physical plane. I believe that all disease is caused by improper living or improper thinking, with the exception of that resulting from accidents, and even that may be made better or worse according to the state of the mind. (Of course, I know that some authorities claim that there are no "accidents,” and all is cause and effect, in which the mental state plays an important part, but I cannot take up that matter here, and will assume that an accident is an "accident,” for the time being.)

The main object of these lessons is to tell you that it is possible to call into play the reserve stock of nerve-power, nerve-impulse, or whatever you may call it. I will call it Thought Force and with this explanation you will understand what I mean when I use that term. I know people who, by a conscious effort of the mind, can change the circulation to any part of their body, making a hand or foot grow hot or cold as they will. They can send Thought Force to any part of the body, and to any organ, thus increasing the circulation to the part or organ and stimulating it accordingly. They can withdraw the surplus blood from the brain, and lend it to the extremities, and get to sleep in a few minutes. Now this is what is really done by what is called Suggestion or Auto-Suggestion (I am not speaking of Hypnotism, mind you, although the same rule holds good there); and this is practically what is accomplished by all forms of mental treatment, except that usually the increase of nerve-force and circulation is along involuntary lines, so far as the patient is concerned. But it is possible for man, with a little practice, to voluntarily stimulate the circulation and nerve current. It is hard for the average man to do this by sheer will, and most of us need a peg upon which to hang our Thought Force implements; that is, we need to use our hands in order to concentrate our minds so as to get our Thought Force focused upon the affected parts. This is also true of healers, and explains why they involuntarily fall into the use of their hands in giving treatments.

You now understand how important it is to have the blood circulating freely, throughout the body, and wish to know how to have it in that way, so I will endeavor to give you a practical plan of equalizing the circulation by Thought Force. But remember, before this treatment will help you, you must have stopped Hating, Envying, Fearing, being Jealous, and all the rest. You must take off these brakes, before the machine will work properly. Assuming that you have done these things, you are ready to begin the first Self-Treatment.

 

First Self Treatment for Equalizing the Circulation.

·        Find a secure, quiet place, as far as possible removed from the sights and sounds of the outside world. Lie down; relax every muscle, take the tension off every nerve; make yourself "limp” all over, and act as if your body was as heavy as lead, and was linking down into a soft feather-bed because of its own weight. Breathe deeply and slowly, retaining the breath for several moments before expelling it, continuing the deep breathing until a feeling of calm, restful quiet comes over you.

·        Then place your hands on each side of your head; your finger-tips meeting over the upper part of the center of the forehead, and the fleshy part of each of your thumbs lightly pressing upon each temple, your thumbs pointing upward. Close your eyes. Concentrate on the region where your fingertips are, and realize that in so doing you are generating Thought Force in your brain, which you purpose sending to all parts of your body, the circulation following the nerve current. After a few minutes concentration you will be conscious of a force being generated for your use. Then pass the hands very slowly down over the head, the fingers passing over the eyes, and the outstretched thumbs passing on each side of the neck. When the thumbs touch the collar-bone pause for a moment, and re-establish a new center, then slowly pass the hands down over the shoulders and along the length of the body, the tips of the thumbs passing along each of your sides, and the fingers as if trying to meet in the center of the front of the body, as the hands slip down the body. When the waist line is reached, stop and establish a new center for a few moments, then, rising into a sitting position on the bed or couch, pass the hands, in the same way along the thighs, lower legs, and feet, finishing with the toes.

While you are making the slow movements of the hands, realize that the nerve-current is slowly passing down through the body, and is invigorating and stimulating every part. If any organ is affected, you may let your hands rest there for a moment or two in their downward passage, and much relief will be experienced thereby. It should take from one to three minutes from the head to feet, not counting for stops over special organs. Then rest a few minutes, and repeat, and so on for not over seven times. About seven times is a good, thorough treatment, but about three times will give a refreshing treatment. You may treat yourself as often as you like during the day or night, but in this, as in everything else, moderation is well. You will find it advantageous to give yourself a thorough treatment at night when you retire, and a sound night's sleep will be the usual result. Do not press hard upon the body in the treatment. You are not manipulating yourself, and the movement of the hands is simply intended to make an easy path for the mental current of Thought Force—a sort of skirmish line thrown out, as it were. You will be conscious of a decided increase of warmth in the body, as the hands move over the several parts, and a positive stimulation will be experienced. In treating yourself, breathe slowly and deeply, letting your hands rest while you inhale, and pass slowly down as you slowly exhale. You may not get thus the desired results from the first few treatments, but keep at it, and practice will make perfect. When you once get the knack of the thing, you can in a moment or two stimulate the circulation to any part of the body, and stimulate and strengthen any organ.

This treatment for Equalizing the Circulation is useful in any kind of case, and in fact, every self-treatment should be begun with this Equalizing Treatment, before treating the special organ affected. I will tell you how to treat troubles in all parts of the body, during this series of lessons, taking up Stomach troubles as our first subject, in the next lesson.