84

EFFECTS OF THESE PROCESSES.

A teacher whose school had been unruly and almost unbearable, and who had nearly decided to resign her position, found that these methods brought her into a condition that made the pupils desire to please her, instead of the opposite, and her work became pleasant and comparatively easy. Many a business man who loses his head completely would be saved by perseveringly adopting this normal, logical, and natural training.

To further illustrate, the writer of this book is naturally so timid that when a young teacher she found it almost impossible to look at her pupils when asking them the questions. She preferred to walk on solitary roads, for fear of meeting some one that she knew. A member of a church which expected its communicants to speak in meeting, especially in the "covenant meeting," she was forced sometimes to say a few words. The effort would result in a sleepless night.

When informed after the age of fifty that she would speak in public, she considered that quite absurd, knowing her inability to face an audience. She has learned to do so with ease and pleasure, simply by the persistent following of the methods laid down in this book.

When about to speak, she withdraws into an anteroom, and she takes the first mental step by throwing off the audience. She effaces their personality, and she becomes as indifferent to the men and women awaiting her as if they were not there, though of course at the time of speaking their presence and personality become a great aid to her. She throws off every care connected with the whole effort. She then becomes receptive to whatever aid may come from above. Then she realizes the Infinite Life in which she rests, and in that abiding

She

place invokes the aid of high and pure spirits. then takes full possession of her own powers, for though aided by them she is to be the active worker for the occasion, and is then settled to carry her resolve into immediate action.

If there is no ante-room, she goes through the mental process quietly sitting on the platform. But an anteroom where she can be alone is far preferable, for two reasons. One reason is that the mental part can be better done when quite undisturbed by the presence of other persons. The other reason is that there is a physical accompaniment of the mental process, that not only expresses in physical action what the mind is seeking to do, thus aiding it materially, but also puts the body into actual harmony with the magnetism of the planet, thus making it a better vehicle for the expression of the soul, and also enabling the disembodied helpers to reach her by these same currents of magnetism. But more of this in a succeding chapter.

"So near is grandeur to our dust,

So close is God to Man,

When Duty whispers low 'Thou must.'
The youth replies, 'I can,'"

EMERSON.

CHAPTER XI.

THE PHYSICAL BODY.

The main object of the whole mental process accomplished by these five steps is to put the soul into harmonious relation with the higher intelligences of the spirit world. If we were all soul, and had no body of any kind, either fleshly or psychic, the exposition of the method would be complete, and our present work would be accomplished. But as the soul must express itself through the two kinds of bodies, we shall next explain how to put our outward form into harmony with the magnetic currents of the planet and of its accompanying spirit-world.

So far we have dealt mostly with the means for developing the soul. The second part of the book will describe the process of developing the physical and the spiritual envelop.

I must here emphasize the importance of clearly understanding and accepting what has already been said, before beginning to practice the physical portion. During the four years that have elapsed since the writer began to place this method before the public, it has been practiced by many hundreds, and has benefitted many. But conversations and letters received show that a large proportion began to practice the physical part without sufficient attention to the mental. That is owing to their physical condition and their material environment

NEGLECTING THE MENTAL PART.

87

This book has been written so that the spiritual part may be more clearly understood, and the writer here most earnestly implores all readers to remember that if they really desire soul development, they will pay more attention to the mental steps than to the physical.

While it is true that both are necessary to a complete development, yet as the soul is the higher and the more during, as the body is for the soul, and not the soul for the body, as the body should be kept subordinate to the soul, it will follow that the wise aspirant will by no means enter on the physical process without making the mental part more prominent than the material.

Many will be inclined to use (or rather abuse) this book in this way. They will glance at the first part, and see that there is in it a good deal about the soul, the inner part of our being. And as that does not interest them, they will pass slightly over that portion and turn to where it looks more interesting to them, because it is about magnetism and physical motions. Becoming interested in that, as it has more to do with the body, and they are still hampered by material conditions, they will begin to practice that, thus leaving the part for which the physical portion is made, quite neglected. Such persons may become physically more magnetic, and a lower form of mediumship may be increased, but they are treading on slippery places, as is the case with all mediums who lend themselves to physical manifestations of the power of disembodied spirits, while neglecting their own spiritual unfoldment. The higher Spiritualism, or rather true Spiritualism, is to develop the spiritual nature, and to keep the body subjected to its soul center.

88

THE FLESHLY BODY.

Thus premising, we go on to say that our soul principle is at present in a material body, and its own cultivation will proceed more rapidly and harmoniously if the cultivation of the body go hand in hand with it.

Let us first try to consider the nature of the two kinds of material form through which the soul expresses itself. The fleshly body is that of which we first become conscious at the beginning of our earth life. The little one examines his hands and his feet, and his dawning intelligence leads him to play with them, as he plays later with the toys that indulgent love supplies to him. He seeks his food with baby hands and little mouth, and in the satisfaction of his physical wants he finds contentment. This consciousness of his physical being, the first that comes to him, he retains to a greater or less degree till the final moment of earthly existence, when he, the real entity, passes out from it, enwrapped in the more ethereal form.

During his whole existence here, this body must receive nourishment, its blood must be continually oxygenated, its power must be developed by exercise, a certain degree of temperature must be maintained, it should be clean, and it must have frequent opportunites for recuperation by sleep. The desire to propagate its kind, dormant at first, awakens and increases up to the time when his own complete development may lay the foundations for the same in his offspring.

This consciousness of the physical body and the desire to satisfy its needs are natural, normal, and therefore right.. And if there were no higher being within, designed to be its master, to satisfy these various cravings even to satiety might not be objected to. But as the