Mind and Body; or, Mental States and Physical Conditions

by William Walker Atkinson

“All the natural channels of my body are open and free. The substance of my body is good.”

Also the following treatment for general health:

“What is true of God is true of man. God is the One All, and is always in a state of wholeness. I, the man of God, am always whole, like unto the One All. No false belief environs or limits me. No shadow darkens my mental vision. My body is a heavenly body, and my eyes do behold the glory of God in all visible things. I am well, and provided for, thank God, and nothing can make me think otherwise.”

While to the orthodox practitioner of medicine the above affirmation and “treatments” may seem to be nothing but a ridiculous conglomeration of mystical, religious and metaphysical terms, without sequence, logical relation, or common-sense, it is true that statements and treatments similar to the above have successfully healed many cases of physical ailments. There are thousands of people who will testify that they were healed in a similar manner, and the majority of them believed that there was some particular and peculiar virtue in the formula used, or in the theories and beliefs upon which the formula was based. But the unprejudiced student of Suggestion will readily see that the real healing force was with the mind and being of the patients themselves, and that the faith, belief and expectant attention was aroused by the formula and the theories. The principle is that of all Faith Cures—the principle of Suggestion.

Other schools of metaphysical or religious healers treat the patient by impressing upon his mind the fact that God being perfect, good and loving could not be guilty of creating evil, pain or disease, and that such things are non-existent in the “Divine Mind,” and are merely illusion, errors, or false claims of the “mortal mind,” or “carnal mind” of the patient; therefore, if the patient will deny their reality, and will admit as existent only such things as are held in the Divine Mind, i. e., the good things, then the evil things, being merely illusions and untruths, must of necessity fade away and disappear and perfect health will result. Others treat their patients by impressing upon their minds the idea that sickness and disease is either the world or “the devil,” or of the “principle of evil,” the latter being described as “the negation of truth,” and similar terms; and that therefore fixing the mind and faith upon the “principle of Good,” or God, must result in driving away the evil conditions. Others hold that disembodied spirits are aiding in the cure. There are thousands of variations rung on the chimes of metaphysical or religious suggestions in the cults. And they all make some cures, remember—in spite of their theories rather than because of them.

The Mental Scientists come nearest to the ideas of the New Psychology, when they teach that “As a man thinketh, so is he,” and that the mind of man creates physical conditions, good and evil, and that the constant holding of the ideal of perfect health and the assertion thereof, will restore normal healthy conditions to the person suffering from physical ailments. Mental Science is very near to being “straight suggestion” so far as the actual method of treatment is concerned, although it resembles some of the other cults when it begins to speculate or dogmatize regarding the nature of the universe, etc.

Differing from these metaphysical, mystical, or religious schools of healing in theory, although employing the same principle, we find the school of Suggestive Therapeutics, proper, favored by many of the regular physicians and by a number of other healers who base their treatment upon the idea of “straight suggestion” coupled with hygienic truth and rational physiological facts. Perhaps a better idea of the theories and ideas of this school may be obtained by referring to the actual treatments given by some of their leading practitioners.

Herbert A. Parkyn, M. D., an eminent practitioner of Suggestive Therapeutics, gives the following instruction to his pupils: “Students often ask for information as to what they should say to a patient when thorough relaxation is realized. As no two cases are exactly alike, it follows that the suggestions given must necessarily fit the case, and be given with a view to bring about the mental and physical condition desired. For instance, in treating a patient who is afflicted with insomnia, suggestions of sleep should be persistently given; and in cases of malnutrition suggestions of hunger should be made to stimulate the appetite for food. The operator should bear in mind that the reiteration of the suggestion that will change the condition existing, to that desired, is always the right one, and his own intelligence will be the best guarantee as to what the suggestion should be.... Always arouse the expectant attention of a patient.... So logical a line of argument can be made that each patient will have a reason for expecting certain conditions to be brought about. With the patient’s attention on the desired results, they generally come to pass. It is better not to give negative suggestions, such as, ‘You will not, or cannot do this, that or the other thing,’ etc. Pointing out what is not desirable does not suffice. In place of such suggestions, tell what you really wish your patients to do. For example, if a man should mount his bicycle incorrectly, he would profit nothing if we should merely tell him that the way he mounted was not the proper one. How much easier it would be for all concerned if the proper manner of mounting should be shown at once. Just so it is with therapeutic suggestions, keep suggesting the conditions of mind or body you wish to bring about.”

The following treatment given as an example by F. W. Southworth, M. D., in his little book on “True Metaphysical Science, and its Practical Application through the Law of Suggestion,” furnishes an excellent illustration of the form of suggestive treatment favored by this particular school. The patient is addressed as follows: