Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy (universal ebook reader .TXT) 📖

CHAPTER V - ANIMAL MAGNETISM UNMASKED

For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders,

adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness,

blasphemies: these are the things which defile a man.

- JESUS.

 

Earliest investigations

100:1 MESMERISM or animal magnetism was first brought

into notice by Mesmer in Germany in 1775. Ac-100:3 cording to the American Cyclopaedia, he regarded this

so-called force, which he said could be exerted by one living organism over another, as 100:6 a means of alleviating disease. His propositions were

as follows:

 

“There exists a mutual influence between the celestial 100:9 bodies, the earth, and animated things. Animal bodies

are susceptible to the influence of this agent, disseminat—

ing itself through the substance of the nerves.” 100:12 In 1784, the French government ordered the medical

faculty of Paris to investigate Mesmer’s theory and to

report upon it. Under this order a commission was 100:15 appointed, and Benjamin Franklin was one of the com—

missioners. This commission reported to the government as follows:

100:18 “In regard to the existence and utility of animal magnetism, we have come to the unanimous conclusions that

there is no proof of the existence of the animal magnetic 101:1 fluid; that the violent effects, which are observed in

the public practice of magnetism, are due to manipula-101:3 tions, or to the excitement of the imagination and the

impressions made upon the senses; and that there is one

more fact to be recorded in the history of the errors of 101:6 the human mind, and an important experiment upon

the power of the imagination.”

 

Clairvoyance, magnetism

 

In 1837, a committee of nine persons was appointed, 101:9 among whom were Roux, Bouillaud, and Clo—

quet, which tested during several sessions the

phenomena exhibited by a reputed clairvoyant. Their 101:12 report stated the results as follows:

 

“The facts which had been promised by Monsieur

Berna [the magnetizer] as conclusive, and as adapted to 101:15 throw light on physiological and therapeutical questions,

are certainly not conclusive in favor of the doctrine of

animal magnetism, and have nothing in common with 101:18 either physiology or therapeutics.”

 

This report was adopted by the Royal Academy of

Medicine in Paris.

 

Personal conclusions

101:21 The author’s own observations of the workings of

animal magnetism convince her that it is not

a remedial agent, and that its effects upon 101:24 those who practise it, and upon their subjects who do

not resist it, lead to moral and to physical death.

 

If animal magnetism seems to alleviate or to cure dis-101:27 ease, this appearance is deceptive, since error cannot

remove the effects of error. Discomfort under error is

preferable to comfort. In no instance is the effect of 101:30 animal magnetism, recently called hypnotism, other

than the effect of illusion. Any seeming benefit derived

from it is proportional to one’s faith in esoteric magic.

 

Mere negation

102:1 Animal magnetism has no scientific foundation, for

God governs all that is real, harmonious, and eternal, and 102:3 His power is neither animal nor human. Its

basis being a belief and this belief animal, in

Science animal magnetism, mesmerism, or hypnotism is 102:6 a mere negation, possessing neither intelligence, power,

nor reality, and in sense it is an unreal concept of the so-called mortal mind.

102:9 There is but one real attraction, that of Spirit. The

pointing of the needle to the pole symbolizes this all—

embracing power or the attraction of God, divine Mind.

102:12 The planets have no more power over man than over

his Maker, since God governs the universe; but man,

reflecting God’s power, has dominion over all the earth 102:15 and its hosts.

 

Hidden agents

 

The mild forms of animal magnetism are disappearing, and its aggressive features are coming to the front. 102:18 The looms of crime, hidden in the dark re—

cesses of mortal thought, are every hour weav—

ing webs more complicated and subtle. So secret are the 102:21 present methods of animal magnetism that they ensnare

the age into indolence, and produce the very apathy on

the subject which the criminal desires. The following 102:24 is an extract from the Boston Herald:

 

“Mesmerism is a problem not lending itself to an easy

explanation and development. It implies the exercise 102:27 of despotic control, and is much more likely to be abused

by its possessor, than otherwise employed, for the individual or society.”

 

Mental despotism

102:30 Mankind must learn that evil is not power. Its so-called despotism is but a phase of nothingness. Christian

Science despoils the kingdom of evil, and pre-eminently 103:1 promotes affection and virtue in families and therefore

in the community. The Apostle Paul refers to the 103:3 personification of evil as “the god of this

world,” and further defines it as dishonesty

and craftiness. Sin was the Assyrian moon-god.

 

Liberation of mental powers

103:6 The destruction of the claims of mortal mind through

Science, by which man can escape from sin

and mortality, blesses the whole human fam-103:9 ily. As in the beginning, however, this liberation does not scientifically show itself in a knowledge of

both good and evil, for the latter is unreal. 103:12 On the other hand, Mind-science is wholly separate

from any half-way impertinent knowledge, because Mind-science is of God and demonstrates the divine Principle, 103:15 working out the purposes of good only. The maximum

of good is the infinite God and His idea, the All-in-all.

Evil is a suppositional lie.

 

The genus of error

103:18 As named in Christian Science, animal magnetism or

hypnotism is the specific term for error, or mortal mind.

It is the false belief that mind is in matter, and 103:21 is both evil and good; that evil is as real as

good and more powerful. This belief has not one quality of Truth. It is either ignorant or malicious. The 103:24 malicious form of hypnotism ultimates in moral idiocy.

The truths of immortal Mind sustain man, and they annihilate the fables of mortal mind, whose flimsy and gaudy 103:27 pretensions, like silly moths, singe their own wings and

fall into dust.

 

Thought-transference

 

In reality there is no mortal mind, and conse-103:30 quently no transference of mortal thought

and will-power. Life and being are of

God. In Christian Science, man can do no harm, for 104:1 scientific thoughts are true thoughts, passing from God

to man.

 

104:3 When Christian Science and animal magnetism are

both comprehended, as they will be at no distant date,

it will be seen why the author of this book has been 104:6 so unjustly persecuted and belied by wolves in sheep’s

clothing.

 

Agassiz, the celebrated naturalist and author, has 104:9 wisely said: “Every great scientific truth goes through

three stages. First, people say it conflicts with the Bible.

Next, they say it has been discovered before. Lastly, 104:12 they say they have always believed it.”

 

Perfection of divine government

 

Christian Science goes to the bottom of mental action,

and reveals the theodicy which indicates the rightness of 104:15 all divine action, as the emanation of divine

Mind, and the consequent wrongness of the

opposite so-called action, - evil, occultism, 104:18 necromancy, mesmerism, animal magnetism, hypnotism.

 

Adulteration of Truth

 

The medicine of Science is divine Mind; and dishonesty,

sensuality, falsehood, revenge, malice, are animal pro-104:21 pensities and by no means the mental qualities which heal the sick. The hypnotizer

employs one error to destroy another. If he heals sick-104:24 ness through a belief, and a belief originally caused the

sickness, it is a case of the greater error overcoming the

lesser. This greater error thereafter occupies the ground, 104:27 leaving the case worse than before it was grasped by the

stronger error.

 

Motives considered

 

Our courts recognize evidence to prove the motive as 104:30 well as the commission of a crime. Is it not

clear that the human mind must move the

body to a wicked act? Is not mortal mind the mur-105:1 derer? The hands, without mortal mind to direct them,

could not commit a murder.

 

Mental crimes

105:3 Courts and juries judge and sentence mortals in order

to restrain crime, to prevent deeds of violence or to punish

them. To say that these tribunals have no 105:6 jurisdiction over the carnal or mortal mind,

would be to contradict precedent and to admit that the

power of human law is restricted to matter, while mortal 105:9 mind, evil, which is the real outlaw, defies justice and is

recommended to mercy. Can matter commit a crime?

Can matter be punished? Can you separate the men-105:12 tality from the body over which courts hold jurisdiction?

Mortal mind, not matter, is the criminal in every case;

and human law rightly estimates crime, and courts rea-105:15 sonably pass sentence, according to the motive.

 

Important decision

 

When our laws eventually take cognizance of mental

crime and no longer apply legal rulings wholly