The Invisible Influence
By Alexander Cannon
Chapter VI
The Invisible Influence Yet Visible
THE next morning we arose at an early hour and having dined physically, we now prepared ourselves for a mental feast.
The Sage commented upon the wonderful psychic atmosphere which accompanied the Knight Commander, whereupon the latter spoke: "Have you not sat in a room with company, and the moment Mr. X entered there was a feeling of restraint and uneasiness, but when Mr. Y arrived an unexplainable feeling of ease and pleasantness pervaded the whole atmosphere? We call this personality, but what is it but the invisible hypnotic influence which pervades that person's surroundings?
"In the days of the Nazarene, Jesus Christ's hypnotic ministry on Earth, did not His hearers feel the wonder of His hidden power, like the nail and the magnet? While the nail is drawn to the magnet it can draw other smaller nails, but for the time being only, for on withdrawing the upper nail from the magnet, it has lost its power and the lower nails fall to the ground; as the larger nail is magnetic only whilst it clings to the magnet, and away from [100] it, it has no power. I suggest that you study carefully the methods of hypnosis used by Jesus as recorded in the New Testament. The essence of revivals in days gone by and in days to come, can all be explained in this way.
The Magnetic Power of Suggestion
"The Power of Suggestion is magnetic and all-powerful. If you think that you are ill, you will soon become ill. If you are ill but mate up your mind both consciously and unconsciously to get well, you will get well. There is, however, one snag: a person may consciously make up his mind to get well, but his unconscious mind may refuse to accept this suggestion, and so not allow him to get well. In these cases, treatment by hypnotism is effectual. Surely to be candid, the whole matter boils down to faith: faith in ourselves, faith in others; faith in someone who is omnipotent (the latter being a sure method of tapping and dealing with the unconscious mind). Remember that the greater the object of the faith, the greater the result. Eliminate faith from life and what remains? The answer is: little or nothing that is worth having.
Emotion's Marvellous Power
"Emotion sways the world through its wonderful hypnotic power, and this is clearly linked up with the 'still small voice' of conscience; which is the voice of the unconscious [101] mind. We believe this to be the soul of man, directing our conscious thoughts, when direction is most needed. The power of suggestion, music and rhythm, is all-important in the set forms of worship such as the services held in distant Britain in its churches: I mean to suggest that such a service must be run with the efficiency of a first-class entertainment, and the hymns, prayers, solos or anthems, lessons and sermons must all be well chosen, well delivered, well timed; and in perfect harmony and vibration with each other and with the Universal mind.
"Jesus, the psychologist of first rank, severely criticized the methods of the churches in the New Testament. Read St. Matthew, Chapter 6, and observe for yourself these facts. He knew that the unconscious mind insisted on orderliness, emotion and rhythm, or what we term, 'being in tune with the Infinite'; in vibration and harmony with the Universal mind; and if your churches are to prosper, you must carry out these His advices. The prayers uttered in earnest by the thousands of people in the quiet of their own homes, from their hearts, carry untold telepathic suggestion to a waiting suggestive world."
Hypnotism and the Mentally Afflicted
We then went on to discuss the casting out of devils as related in the Bible, when the Sage [102] interrupted, saying, "Have you heard of Dr. Keen's work at Berhampore? You know he employed mesmerism, as hypnotism was then known, for years in his large asylum, where he claimed to have found it of great use in maintaining quiet and discipline."
I then pointed out, "Braid, the Manchester Surgeon, recorded successful treatment of several cases of delusional insanity, which in most instances were complicated by hallucinations or visions.
"Voisin, the great French Physician, records, amongst many cases, his most difficult one; a Miss X, aged twenty-five years, whose grand-mother was an epileptic suffering from fits. Five years previously the patient began to suffer from mania with visions and the hearing of imaginary voices. When Voisin first saw her, she had frequent acute attacks of furious delirium lasting from eight to fourteen days, during which time she refused to eat or drink, and spat at her attendants and tried to bite them. The French Physician succeeded in hypnotizing her in one of the attacks by holding her eyes forcibly open for three hours, and compelling her to look fixedly at a magnesium lamp. He then succeeded in suggesting that she would sleep for twenty-three and a half hours, during which sleep she took food and drink she had refused in the waking state. At first she was only allowed to remain awake three hours and a half a week, but as she improved the duration of [103] the hypnotic sleep was diminished. After four months' treatment, all morbid symptoms disappeared, and she became polite, sociable and amiable. Fifteen months later there had been no relapse, and she obtained the post of wardrobe maid at a leading French hospital."
The Knight exclaimed how great was Voisin's work, but how lacking he was in perfect method and determining by mental process: the Distinguished Guest recalled that in the Gospel of St. Matthew, chapter 8, verse 28, it states, "And when He came to the other side into the Country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two possessed with devils coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no man might pass that way." "You will recall," he said, "that Christ cast out these devils and that these two people went away whole and cured for ever."
I then took the liberty of asking the Knight how he knew the Bible so well, and he replied: "We know all things; we are aware of all that takes place on this little planet named Earth: we knew of your coming months before you even decided to come here. You see, when you thought you had used an act of will in deciding to come here, you had really merely acted under our telepathic instructions." "But," I replied, "why did you choose me amongst all these many others in the world?" Then with a penetrating gaze which I shall never forget, this great messenger from the higher world of thought, gravely commented, "We take you, [104] not at your present value, but because of your capabilities: it is what you will be that concerns us. You are fated for this; and no man can deter you from your faithful following!"
Modern Miracles
"Why," asked my chief boy, "don't people work miracles to-day?" The Sage replied, "We do still work miracles, only now in modern days these same things are spoken of as science and not miracles. You see, a miracle is stated to be a wonder; something which excites astonishment and is due to a sensible deviation from the known laws of nature; being held to be wrought by a supernatural being. Now, we do not accept this as being either supernatural or a sensible deviation from the known laws of nature, and therefore how can it be a miracle?
"May I remind you that Milne Bramwell recalls a case of a commercial traveller who became absolutely sleepless, and thought himself possessed by the Devil. Ordinary attempts to hypnotize him failed, until the hypnotist humoured his morbid idea and addressed himself to the obsessing Devil. He said: 'Thou Devil, I defy thee to put thy victim to sleep in that chair; I defy thee to do it by any means whatsoever!' The Devil fell into the trap, and the man into a deep sleep, in which he was open to the hypnologist's suggestions and the [105] traveller was made to relate the cause of his trouble. This appeared to have been an act of infidelity to his wife while on his travels, which so preyed upon his mind that he thought himself damned and given over to the Devil. This idea, ridiculous though it may seem, was combated, conquered; and the patient was there and then cured. The Devil had indeed been cast out."
And so to bed! We rested that night in the company of our Distinguished Guest, whom I would call the messenger of peace.
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