Vril, or Vital Magnetism
by William Walker Atkinson
Lesson III.
The Mechanism of Vril
THE student should bear in mind that Vril is never manufactured in the human body. There is just so much Vril in existence — a certain amount or quantity — and this amount or quantity never can be added to, nor subtracted from, by the organism of man. Just as the instruments employed in electrical science gather up, store up, and transform into various forms and phases the electricity already in existence in nature, without creating or destroying a single particle thereof, so does the organism of man gather from the principle of Vril that which it requires; so does it store up a reserve supply of Vril; so does it transform Vril into the various forms and phases required for the purposes of the organism; and so does it use Vril in its activities. But the Vril so gathered, stored, and transformed is never created by the organism; nor is the Vril so used ever destroyed. The seeming creation is merely the absorption of the Vril needed, from the [28] universal supply thereof; and the seeming destruction is merely the return of Vril to the universal supply thereof. Vril is never created nor destroyed — it merely undergoes transformation of phase, form, and use.
The mechanism of the human body involved in the absorption, storage, transformation, and use of Vril, is that which is known in ordinary physiology as "the nervous system." Very few persons know the facts concerning this most wonderful mechanism of the human organism, which is employed as the mechanism of the activities of Vril. In order to understand the activities of Vril, the student should have at least an elementary knowledge of the human nervous system. Accordingly, we invite you to a brief consideration thereof.
The nervous system of the human being is divided into two great systems, viz., the cerebro-spinal system and the sympathetic system. The cerebro-spinal nervous system consists of that part of the general nervous system which is composed of the brain and the spinal cord, together with the nerves which emerge from the latter. Its functions are those connected with the processes of sensation, volition, and the higher processes of thought. It conveys to [29] the brain the reports of the organs of feeling, seeing, smelling, hearing, and tasting. It manifests consciousness and the phenomena thereof. It attends to the functions of thought. It is the channel and mechanism of action. Through it the individual receives knowledge of the outside world, and communicates information to the outside world. It has been compared to a telegraph system, the brain being the great central station, the spinal column being the cable running from the central office, and the nerves being the connecting telegraph wires running to the minor stations of the body.
The brain of man consists of three parts, known, respectively, as the medulla oblongata, the cerebellum, and the cerebrum. The medulla oblongata is situated at the upper end of the spinal cord, and is an enlargement of the upper portion thereof. It is a reflex centre of a high order. It controls, to a certain extent, certain functions of the sympathetic nervous system, and therefore the activities of the heart, lungs, blood-vessels, and the abdominal organs. Its activities are out of the ordinary field of consciousness, and belong to those of the subconscious mind. The cerebellum, sometimes known as "the little brain," lies just above the [30] medulla oblongata, and like it is a reflex centre of a high order. Its purpose is to co-ordinate the muscular movements of the body, and to function along the line of acquired reflexes.
When we have learned to perform certain regular muscular movements so that they become habitual, we have really passed their execution on to the cerebellum. As we all know, when we first learn to perform a new and difficult task, such as walking, riding, skating, writing, or running a machine, we must pay conscious attention to it, the cerebrum being the part of the brain then employed. But when we have mastered the rudimentary motions so that they may be performed with very little conscious attention, the cerebellum takes charge, and the actions are thereafter performed almost automatically and unconsciously by reason thereof. In habitual muscular activity the cerebrum merely initiates the motion, and then the cerebellum takes it up and continues it subconsciously. When the cerebellum is injured, the gait is affected and the individual often loses the power to perform many of the usual reflex actions.
Professor Halleck says of the importance of the reflex activities mentioned: "Thus the [31] mind is not only saved the trouble of attending to every little movement, but much time is gained. After the child has learned the difficult art of balancing himself on his feet, walking becomes largely a reflex act. At first the child must centre his whole attention on movements to balance the body. The man can think out the most complex problems while walking, because the reflex nervous centres are superintending the balancing process. Few men remember which end of the collar they button on first, or which shoe they put on first; yet the reflex nerve centre, if left to itself, has an invariable order in executing these movements." Professor Gordy says: "The cerebellum is the organ for many acquired reflexes—.—.—. All that seems necessary for the mind or consciousness to have to do with it is to set the machine well going, so to speak, when some part of the nervous mechanism relieves consciousness of all further work in the matter."
The cerebrum, or "large brain" occupies the greater part of the entire cavity of the skull. It is the headquarters of consciousness, to which the nerves of sensation report. A blow that affects the cerebrum produces unconsciousness. [32] The nervous connection with the cerebrum must be maintained, else the sensation is not felt. An injury to the cerebrum impairs the faculties of thought and of memory. From this and other reasons, science knows that the cerebrum is the part of the brain most closely related to consciousness and intelligence. But its quality and functions vary materially in its various parts. The "cortex," or thin rind or outer covering of gray matter, is held to be the seat of intellectual activity and consciousness. Moreover, there exists in the cerebrum, what is known as "localization of functions," that is to say that certain parts or areas of the cerebrum are devoted to special functional activity. For instance, there is the "motor zone," from which are sent out the orders to transmit Vril so as to move any part of the body. Science has so definitely located these zones that "it is possible for a surgeon to find the small centre which moves the vocal cords, directs a thumb, or winks an eye." Then there are the "sensory tracts," which receive impressions from the senses. The various sense centres have been located with a surprising degree of accuracy. Science has not as yet succeeded in localizing the intellectual areas definitely, [33] although phrenology has done something in that direction.
The spinal cord is continuous with the brain, the two forming parts of the same system. The spinal cord occupies the canal in the centre of the spinal column, or "backbone." It is composed of gray matter and white matter. It is almost separated into two parts by fissures, but there always remains a ridge of connecting nerve matter something like the connecting bar in the letter H. From the spinal cord emerge thirty-one pairs of spinal nerves, springing from either side of the cord, each nerve having two roots, an anterior and a posterior. An authority says of the functions of these nerves and roots: "If the foot were pricked, the sensory impulse would enter the spinal cord by the posterior root. The spinal ganglia would set free a motor impulse, which would leave for the foot by the anterior root of the nerve. If the posterior root of the nerve supply of the foot were cut, the foot might be crushed without a sensation of pain, but a motor impulse could be sent as before. If the anterior or motor root were cut, the application of a hot iron would cause as much pain as ever, but the sufferer could not move the foot an inch from the [34] iron, no matter how great the pain. A large part of the body is absolutely dependent upon the integrity of the spinal cord for the transmission of sensory and motor impulses. If a person's back is broken, that part of the body supplied by nerves attached to the spinal cord below the seat of injury is paralyzed. Such an unfortunate might watch the amputation of his own leg with as little feeling of pain as if the limb belonged to another person. No act of will would suffice to move such a limb."
The above authority also says, regarding what is called "reflex action": "Reflex nervous action is the result of that power resident in nervous ganglia, which often unconsciously causes many muscular and vital movements. The spinal cord is largely made up of such masses of nervous matter, which have sometimes been called 'little brains.' If one were to prick the toe of a sleeper, the sensory nerve at that point would report the fact to one of the lower spinal nerve masses. This ganglion, without waiting to hear from the brain, would issue a command to the motor nerve, and the foot would be immediately withdrawn. Unless the thrust were severe, the sleeper would not awake, nor would he be conscious of pain [35] or of the movement of his foot. This nervous action is called 'reflex,' because, when the sensory nerve conveys an impulse to the ganglion, this impulse is at once, and without the action of the will, reflected back by a motor nerve. Thus the mind is not only saved the trouble of attending to every little movement, but much time is gained."
The nerves emerging from the spinal column divide and subdivide and finally reach every part of the body. Like the wires of a great telegraph system they reach every point, important or insignificant. Without these nerves thus reaching every part of the body, some parts of the body would be without connection with the brain and would be cut off from the supply of Vril, or vital-energy. These nerves serve to convey sensation from a part to the brain, and to carry in return a motor or movement impulse and supply of Vril from the brain to the part. The nerves are classed as follows: (1) afferent nerves, which carry a stimulus from some part of the body to the central nervous system; and (2) efferent nerves, which transmit the motor impulse, or incentive to movement, from the central system to the part. The sensory nerves are afferent [36] nerves; the motor nerves are efferent nerves. But there are other nerves of both afferent and efferent classes, in addition to the sensory and motor nerves just mentioned. As an authority says: "In addition to these . . . there are nerves which regulate the size of the blood vessels and the nourishment of the body, control the secretions, and perform various other offices connected with transmitting stimuli, which are neither sensory nor motor." The nerve-cells are tiny knots of bunches of nerve matter, connected with nerve fibres. They are of various shapes. A ganglion (which, as we have seen, performs reflex action) is a group, confederation, or aggregation of nerve cells. Each ganglion may be called a "little brain," for it resembles the brain in many respects. The spinal ganglia receive sensory impulses and in return send forth motor impulses to action.
The second great division of the general nervous system is that known as the sympathetic nervous system. This great nervous system has control of the involuntary processes, such as nutrition, growth, repair, elimination, digestion, respiration, circulation. It is situated principally in the thoracic, abdominal, [37] and pelvic cavities, and is distributed to the internal organs. It consists of a double-chain of ganglia on the sides of the spinal column, with scattered ganglia in the head, neck, chest and abdomen. These ganglia are connected with each other by filaments, and are also connected with the cerebro-spinal system by motor and sensory nerves. From the ganglia, numerous branches of fibres reach out to the various organs of the body, the blood-vessels, etc. At various points in the body, the sympathetic nerves meet and form nerve-masses called plexi, of which the solar plexus is the principal and largest one.
The solar plexus is a great mat of sympathetic nerves, situated in the epigastric region, on either side of the spinal column, immediately back of what is generally known as "the pit of the stomach." It is composed of both gray and white brain matter, similar to that which composes the brains of man, and is quite a complex centre. It plays an important part in the subconscious processes of the body, and is very sensitive — a blow over its region has been known to produce death, and in a celebrated prize-fight of some years ago it was the place to which the "knock-out blow" was [38] directed. Its importance is being realized by science, more particularly during the past few years. By some authorities it has been called the "abdominal brain." It is the great store-house of that form of Vril which supplies the organs of the body which are concerned with nutrition, general vitality, the reproductive system, the circulation, and the nerves themselves. Moreover, it serves as a reserve storage battery from which even the brain may draw power in times of necessity, and which, after effecting a slight transformation, it may use effectively.
It must be remembered that ordinarily the processes of the sympathetic nervous system are performed subconsciously and without calling on the conscious mind for aid or guidance. But the sympathetic nervous system maybe and often is affected by the action of the conscious mind acting upon it along the lines of "suggestion," and often causing it to perform its work improperly and poorly. In the same way, however, the conscious mind may suggest to the subconscious, and thus affect the sympathetic nervous system in the direction of helpful ideas and impulses. The conscious mind of the trained individual may reach any of the organs [39] of his body, and not only may send them currents of Vril and thus strengthen and build them up, but by moving the involuntary muscles supporting them may even give them internal exercise. The man or woman who understands the art of suggesting to the subconscious mind, and of directing currents of Vril to the parts of the body, may keep his or her system in perfect condition and functioning power, and thus reach an old age of health, vigor, and virility.
By this method not only an additional nerve stimulus may be given to every part of the body by means of both sets of nerves (cerebro-spinal and sympathetic) but the circulation of blood may also be so directed by the will, and when charged with Vril may invigorate any or all parts of the body, at will. All of these features of the use of Vril by means of the trained will, will be considered during our treatment of the subject in this book. At present our only purpose is to explain the mechanism in, by, over, and through which Vril operates in the human organism.
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