Chapter VIII - Healing the Sick
430:1
Mental healing may be done both right and wrong;
Mental healing may be done both right and wrong;
the wrong method is capable of evil, and is mesmerism,
of which the lowest natures are capable. The scientific
method is without power to do evil; it is Soul, not
personal sense, or manipulation that destroys belief and
fear and heals the sick, in which mind-reading is not
only found important to your success, but especially
characterizing the demonstration. When once you
understand disease has no identity, you will perceive
sickness is but a belief. You should instruct the sick
that Soul is Substance, and body its idea; that disease
is not in the idea of Soul or immortality, nor can it
exist in shadow, the body of Soul, therefore it has no
existence.
430:15
The mental co-operation of the sick will promote
The mental co-operation of the sick will promote
their recovery. To move mind from its central error,
viz., that Intelligence and Life are in the body, and
matter is the master of man, is the great point in meta-
physical healing. Every invalid has an especial fear, in
which some disease and its approaching symptoms are
more alarming than others; not because the disease is
more dangerous, but more feared; remove the fear, and
the danger is gone, for mind will master the disease.
Physical phenomena epitomize the mental, in which a
fearful object troubles us until it is removed from our
observation. Disease is an image of mind, that must
be removed from mental sight, or the fear it occasions
will increase, and this will increase the inflammatory or
morbid symptoms. A belief is the seed within itself
that propagates all physical, because all mental discord.
We know this is difficult to admit before it is under-
stood, then the proof is ample; demonstration is all
431:1
that convinces us of this fact, and until this proof is
that convinces us of this fact, and until this proof is
made, you cannot be safe. Conversing on disease,
reading, or thinking about it, should be sedulously
avoided. If doctors knew one half the harm done by
medical books they would abandon works on disease,
and never speak again of sickness to their patients.
Thinking of disease and pointing out its character
make it liable to appear on the body; such conversa-
tions or ruminations should be as repugnant as obscene
thoughts or words.
431:11
Mind engenders all disease, in which case your only
Mind engenders all disease, in which case your only
hope lies in thinking and hearing less about it, or in
understanding the science that absolutely prevents it.
When you employ a material remedy you must have
more faith in it than the disease, and believe you are
getting cured with more tenacity than you believe you
are growing worse, that the balance of your faith in
recovery or the remedy, may restore you; this condition
of mind, neutralizing the effects of your fear, relieves
the body. The whole is a mental operation, and matter
has nothing to do with it.
431:22
The mortal body is but a phenomenon of mortal belief.
The mortal body is but a phenomenon of mortal belief.
Watch, then, mind more, and the body less. In case of
sickness, or sin, to destroy the one, or remedy the other,
we should begin in mind instead of matter; "pluck the
beam out of our own eye, that we may see clearly to
cast the mote out of our brother's eye." Unless we are
rid of blindness ourself, we are the blind leading the
blind, whereby both fall into the ditch.
431:30
The study of materia medica, physiology, etc., should
The study of materia medica, physiology, etc., should
give place to metaphysical research, whereby we gain
an insight into the power mind holds over matter.