Whenwereachthesubjectofmysticism，youwillundergosodeepanimmersionintotheseexaltedstatesofconsciousnessastobewetallover，ifImaysoexpressmyself；andthecoldshiverofdoubtwithwhichthislittlesprinklingmayaffectyouwillhavelongsincepassedaway——doubt，Imean，astowhetherallsuchwritingbenotmereabstracttalkandrhetoricsetdownpourencouragerlesautres。Youwillthenbeconvinced，Itrust，thatthesestatesofconsciousnessof“union“formaperfectlydefiniteclassofexperiences，ofwhichthesoulmayoccasionallypartake，andwhichcertainpersonsmaylivebyinadeepersensethantheylivebyanythingelsewithwhichtheyhaveacquaintance。ThisbringsmetoageneralphilosophicalreflectionwithwhichIshouldliketopassfromthesubjectofhealthy-mindedness，andcloseatopicwhichIfearisalreadyonlytoolongdrawnout。Itconcernstherelationofallthissystematizedhealthy-mindednessandmind-curereligiontoscientificmethodandthescientificlife。
InalaterlectureIshallhavetotreatexplicitlyoftherelationofreligiontoscienceontheonehand，andtoprimevalsavagethoughtontheother。Thereareplentyofpersonsto-day——“scientists“or“positivists。”theyarefondofcallingthemselves——whowilltellyouthatreligiousthoughtisameresurvival，anatavisticreversiontoatypeofconsciousnesswhichhumanityinitsmoreenlightenedexampleshaslongsinceleftbehindandout-grown。Ifyouaskthemtoexplainthemselvesmorefully，theywillprobablysaythatforprimitivethoughteverythingisconceivedofundertheformofpersonality。Thesavagethinksthatthingsoperatebypersonalforces，andforthesakeofindividualends。Forhim，evenexternalnatureobeysindividualneedsandclaims，justasiftheseweresomanyelementarypowers。Nowscience，ontheotherhand，thesepositivistssay，hasprovedthatpersonality，sofarfrombeinganelementaryforceinnature，isbutapassiveresultantofthereallyelementaryforces，physical，chemical，physiological，andpsycho-physical，whichareallimpersonalandgeneralincharacter。Nothingindividualaccomplishesanythingintheuniversesaveinsofarasitobeysandexemplifiessomeuniversallaw。Shouldyoutheninquireofthembywhatmeanssciencehasthussupplantedprimitivethought，anddiscrediteditspersonalwayoflookingatthings，theywouldundoubtedlysayithasbeenbythestrictuseofthemethodofexperimentalverification。Followoutscience’sconceptionspractically，theywillsay，theconceptionsthatignorepersonalityaltogether，andyouwillalwaysbecorroborated。Theworldissomadethatallyourexpectationswillbeexperientiallyverifiedsolong，andonlysolong，asyoukeepthetermsfromwhichyouinferthemimpersonalanduniversal。
Butherewehavemind-cure，withherdiametricallyoppositephilosophy，settingupanexactlyidenticalclaim。LiveasifI
weretrue，shesays，andeverydaywillpracticallyproveyouright。Thatthecontrollingenergiesofnaturearepersonal，thatyourownpersonalthoughtsareforces，thatthepowersoftheuniversewilldirectlyrespondtoyourindividualappealsandneeds，arepropositionswhichyourwholebodilyandmentalexperiencewillverify。Andthatexperiencedoeslargelyverifytheseprimevalreligiousideasisprovedbythefactthatthemind-curemovementspreadsasitdoes，notbyproclamationandassertionsimply，butbypalpableexperientialresults。Here，intheveryheydayofscience’sauthority，itcarriesonanaggressivewarfareagainstthescientificphilosophy，andsucceedsbyusingscience’sownpeculiarmethodsandweapons。
Believingthatahigherpowerwilltakecareofusincertainwaysbetterthanwecantakecareofourselves，ifweonlygenuinelythrowourselvesuponitandconsenttouseit，itfindsthebelief，notonlynotimpugned，butcorroboratedbyitsobservation。
Howconversionsarethusmade，andconvertsconfirmed，isevidentenoughfromthenarrativeswhichIhavequoted。Iwillquoteyetanothercoupleofshorteronestogivethematteraperfectlyconcreteturn。Hereisone：——
“OneofmyfirstexperiencesinapplyingmyteachingwastwomonthsafterIfirstsawthehealer。Ifell，sprainingmyrightankle，whichIhaddoneoncefouryearsbefore，havingthenhadtouseacrutchandelasticankletforsomemonths，andcarefullyguardingiteversince。AssoonasIwasonmyfeetImadethepositivesuggestionandfeltitthroughallmybeing：’ThereisnothingbutGod，andalllifecomesfromhimperfectly。I
cannotbesprainedorhurt，Iwilllethimtakecareofit。’
Well，Ineverhadasensationinit，andIwalkedtwomilesthatday。”
Thenextcasenotonlyillustratesexperimentandverification，butalsotheelementofpassivityandsurrenderofwhichawhileagoImadesuchaccount。
“Iwentintotowntodosomeshoppingonemorning，andIhadnotbeengonelongbeforeIbegantofeelill。Theillfeelingincreasedrapidly，untilIhadpainsinallmybones，nauseaandfaintness，headache，allthesymptomsinshortthatprecedeanattackofinfluenza。IthoughtthatIwasgoingtohavethegrippe，epidemictheninBoston，orsomethingworse。Themind-cureteachingsthatIhadbeenlisteningtoallthewinterthereuponcameintomymind，andIthoughtthatherewasanopportunitytotestmyself。OnmywayhomeImetafriend，I
refrainedwithsomeeffortfromtellingherhowIfelt。Thatwasthefirststepgained。Iwenttobedimmediately，andmyhusbandwishedtosendforthedoctor。ButItoldhimthatIwouldratherwaituntilmorningandseehowIfelt。Thenfollowedoneofthemostbeautifulexperiencesofmylife。
“IcannotexpressitinanyotherwaythantosaythatIdid’liedowninthestreamoflifeandletitflowoverme。’Igaveupallfearofanyimpendingdisease；Iwasperfectlywillingandobedient。Therewasnointellectualeffort，ortrainofthought。
Mydominantideawas：’BeholdthehandmaidoftheLord：beituntomeevenasthouwilt，’andaperfectconfidencethatallwouldbewell，thatallWASwell。Thecreativelifewasflowingintomeeveryinstant，andIfeltmyselfalliedwiththeInfinite，inharmony，andfullofthepeacethatpassethunderstanding。Therewasnoplaceinmymindforajarringbody。
Ihadnoconsciousnessoftimeorspaceorpersons；butonlyofloveandhappinessandfaith。
“Idonotknowhowlongthisstatelasted，norwhenIfellasleep；butwhenIwokeupinthemorning，IWASWELL。”
Theseareexceedinglytrivialinstances，[64]butinthem，ifwehaveanythingatall，wehavethemethodofexperimentandverification。ForthepointIamdrivingatnow，itmakesnodifferencewhetheryouconsiderthepatientstobedeludedvictimsoftheirimaginationornot。ThattheyseemedtoTHEMSELVEStohavebeencuredbytheexperimentstriedwasenoughtomakethemconvertstothesystem。Andalthoughitisevidentthatonemustbeofacertainmentalmouldtogetsuchresultsfornoteveryonecangetthuscuredtohisownsatisfactionanymorethaneveryonecanbecuredbythefirstregularpractitionerwhomhecallsin，yetitwouldsurelybepedanticandover-scrupulousforthosewhoCANgettheirsavageandprimitivephilosophyofmentalhealingverifiedinsuchexperimentalwaysasthis，togivethemupatwordofcommandformorescientifictherapeutics。
Whatarewetothinkofallthis？Hassciencemadetoowideaclaim？
[64]SeeAppendixtothislecturefortwoothercasesfurnishedmebyfriends。
Ibelievethattheclaimsofthesectarianscientistare，tosaytheleast，premature。Theexperienceswhichwehavebeenstudyingduringthishourandagreatmanyotherkindsofreligiousexperiencesarelikethemplainlyshowtheuniversetobeamoremany-sidedaffairthananysect，eventhescientificsect，allowsfor。What，intheend，areallourverificationsbutexperiencesthatagreewithmoreorlessisolatedsystemsofideasconceptualsystemsthatourmindshaveframed？Butwhyinthenameofcommonsenseneedweassumethatonlyonesuchsystemofideascanbetrue？Theobviousoutcomeofourtotalexperienceisthattheworldcanbehandledaccordingtomanysystemsofideas，andissohandledbydifferentmen，andwilleachtimegivesomecharacteristickindofprofit，forwhichhecares，tothehandler，whileatthesametimesomeotherkindofprofithastobeomittedorpostponed。Sciencegivestoallofustelegraphy，electriclighting，anddiagnosis，andsucceedsinpreventingandcuringacertainamountofdisease。Religionintheshapeofmind-curegivestosomeofusserenity，moralpoise，andhappiness，andpreventscertainformsofdiseaseaswellassciencedoes，orevenbetterinacertainclassofpersons。
Evidently，then，thescienceandthereligionarebothofthemgenuinekeysforunlockingtheworld’streasure-housetohimwhocanuseeitherofthempractically。Justasevidentlyneitherisexhaustiveorexclusiveoftheother’ssimultaneoususe。Andwhy，afterall，maynottheworldbesocomplexastoconsistofmanyinterpenetratingspheresofreality，whichwecanthusapproachinalternationbyusingdifferentconceptionsandassumingdifferentattitudes，justasmathematicianshandlethesamenumericalandspatialfactsbygeometry，byanalyticalgeometry，byalgebra，bythecalculus，orbyquaternions，andeachtimecomeoutright？Onthisviewreligionandscience，eachverifiedinitsownwayfromhourtohourandfromlifetolife，wouldbeco-eternal。Primitivethought，withitsbeliefinindividualizedpersonalforces，seemsatanyrateasfaraseverfrombeingdrivenbysciencefromthefieldto-day。Numbersofeducatedpeoplestillfinditthedirectestexperimentalchannelbywhichtocarryontheirintercoursewithreality。[65]
[65]Whetherthevariousspheresorsystemsareevertofuseintegrallyintooneabsoluteconception，asmostphilosophersassumethattheymust，andhow，ifso，thatconceptionmaybestbereached，arequestionsthatonlythefuturecananswer。Whatiscertainnowisthefactoflinesofdisparateconception，eachcorrespondingtosomepartoftheworld’struth，eachverifiedinsomedegree，eachleavingoutsomepartofrealexperience。
Thecaseofmind-curelaysoreadytomyhandthatIcouldnotresistthetemptationofusingittobringtheselasttruthshometoyourattention，butImustcontentmyselfto-daywiththisverybriefindication。Inalaterlecturetherelationsofreligionbothtoscienceandtoprimitivethoughtwillhavetoreceivemuchmoreexplicitattention——
APPENDIX
Seenote[64]。
CASEI。“Myownexperienceisthis：Ihadlongbeenill，andoneofthefirstresultsofmyillness，adozenyearsbefore，hadbeenadiplopiawhichdeprivedmeoftheuseofmyeyesforreadingandwritingalmostentirely，whilealateronehadbeentoshutmeoutfromexerciseofanykindunderpenaltyofimmediateandgreatexhaustion。IhadbeenunderthecareofdoctorsofthehigheststandingbothinEuropeandAmerica，meninwhosepowertohelpmeIhadhadgreatfaith，withnoorillresult。Then，atatimewhenIseemedtoberatherrapidlylosingground，Iheardsomethingsthatgavemeinterestenoughinmentalhealingtomakemetryit；Ihadnogreathopeofgettinganygoodfromit——itwasaCHANCEItried，partlybecausemythoughtwasinterestedbythenewpossibilityitseemedtoopen，partlybecauseitwastheonlychanceIthencouldsee。IwenttoXinBoston，fromwhomsomefriendsofminehadgot，orthoughttheyhadgot，greathelp；thetreatmentwasasilentone；littlewassaid，andthatlittlecarriednoconvictiontomymind，whateverinfluencewasexertedwasthatofanotherperson’sthoughtorfeelingsilentlyprojectedontomyunconsciousmind，intomynervoussystemasitwere，aswesatstilltogether。IbelievedfromthestartinthePOSSIBILITYofsuchaction，forIknewthepowerofthemindtoshape，helpingorhindering，thebody’snerve-activities，andIthoughttelepathyprobable，althoughunproved，butIhadnobeliefinitasmorethanapossibility，andnostrongconvictionnoranymysticorreligiousfaithconnectedwithmythoughtofitthatmighthavebroughtimaginationstronglyintoplay。
“Isatquietlywiththehealerforhalfanhoureachday，atfirstwithnoresult；then，aftertendaysorso，Ibecamequitesuddenlyandswiftlyconsciousofatideofnewenergyrisingwithinme，asenseofpowertopassbeyondoldhalting-places，ofpowertobreaktheboundsthat，thoughoftentriedbefore，hadlongbeenveritablewallsaboutmylife，toohightoclimb。I
begantoreadandwalkasIhadnotdoneforyears，andthechangewassudden，marked，andunmistakable。Thistideseemedtomountforsomeweeks，threeorfourperhaps，when，summerhavingcome，Icameaway，takingthetreatmentupagainafewmonthslater。TheliftIgotprovedpermanent，andleftmeslowlygaininggroundinsteadoflosing，itbutwiththislifttheinfluenceseemedinawaytohavespentitself，and，thoughmyconfidenceintherealityofthepowerhadgainedimmenselyfromthisfirstexperience，andshouldhavehelpedmetomakefurthergaininhealthandstrengthifmybeliefinithadbeenthepotentfactorthere，IneverafterthisgotanyresultatallasstrikingorasclearlymarkedasthiswhichcamewhenImadetrialofitfirst，withlittlefaithanddoubtfulexpectation。
Itisdifficulttoputalltheevidenceinsuchamatterintowords，togatherupintoadistinctstatementallthatonebasesone’sconclusionson，butIhavealwaysfeltthatIhadabundantevidencetojustifytomyself，atleasttheconclusionthatI