Whence originated the name "MAGNET?" The ancient Roman Plinius, who was famous as a naturalist, asserted that the name came from a shepherd who was called Magnes. One day he acci­dentally contacted a stone with his iron ferruled staff, when he found that the iron ferrule was sticking to it. Thus the lodestone or mag­netic stone was discovered. From the magnetic stone originated the term mineral magnetism. The healing power magnetism, was so named because it had many similarities with the properties of mineral magnetism, namely in regard to the power of its lines of force.

The use of healing magnetism is certainly as old as mankind itself, and instinctively employed in very ancient times. Later healing magnetism was practiced almost exclusively by the privi­leged priesthood, and was guarded as a strict secret. Especially in Egypt were the temples, with their halls for the sick, widely famous as curative establishments. Also the oracles in Greece were the revelations of magnetized, clairvoyant persons.

So mankind in general remained in ignorance of healing mag­netism and its wonders for many thousands of years. The few initiates jealously guarded their treasured knowledge.

Only at the commencement of the 17th century did a shimmer of light of the awakening dawn appear after a long night.

Paracelsus, whose writing appeared in 1603 in Strasburg, gave the first significant pointer, and his successor van Helmont, dared to answer in regard to attacks on his magnetic cures in this way: "Whoever looks upon magnetic cures as the works of the devil must, by the same token, regard the causes of all magnetic pheno­mena as devil's magic." Sound logic, isn't it?

Magnetism, which is everywhere present, is nothing new apart from its name, but when it is used as a healing method—and a very valuable one at that—then certain over pious individuals with closed minds decry it and attribute the phenomenon to the power of the devil when it is used for curative purposes. Hypnotism and hypnotherapy come in for similar abuse by the unenlightened.

In these days of hurried living, eulogies are voiced abroad from time to time, about the latest methods of healing, which are near to being "infallible," and which promise mankind a super­abundance of health, but alas only to be discarded because they do not come up to the tenth part of what has been claimed for them.

There can be no shadow of doubt that through the medium of herbs, biochemical and homoeopathic remedies, striking cures can be achieved, as many who have thereby been restored to health can vouch for.

In order, however, that these methods of healing can be pro­perly employed, it is essential that a precise diagnosis be arrived at, and should this prove to be erroneous, then all efforts on behalf of the patient in this direction become more or less futile, according also to the suggestibility of the patient. It is, naturally, the correct selection of the curative agent that is of fundamental importance which must not only be suitable for the type of particular ailment, but also appropriate to the type of the patient himself. If care be not taken here, the method employed may not be any use whatever, but indeed may even be injurious to the patient, and thus the last state may be worse than the first.

With the use of healing magnetism, however, no mistakes of this kind can arise.

The question may well be asked: "What then is this animal or human magnetism?" It may be considered as a kind of emana­tion to which has been given many different names, but the one that appeals to me most is odic or odylic force. It flows from every living soul in all directions being fine vibratory in nature. It is in the animals, plants and minerals and this subtle element is uni­versal. It is especially sensed by those of a sensitive nature and who are in harmony with their surroundings.

It has been postulated that this force may be the result of the splitting of atoms into electrons and ions, and perhaps a disinteg­ration into the finest ether. This living stream of power is com­posed of luminiferous substance, which as a matter of fact, has been demonstrated by Baron von Reichenbach and others work­ing in this field. If, for the time being, we do not know the actual source of this power, we can at least recognize quite clearly the EFFECTS it produces in magnetic healing, which can be of a very striking nature indeed, as is evidenced by some who were seriously ill becoming well in a few hours after such treatment. A harmon­ious recovery can take place even in cases of long standing disease.

This transference of the peculiar odic force that is embraced in magnetism from one human being to another and the absorption of these restorative radiations by the patient, is without doubt, the surest and incontestable healing method extant, provided the patient and healer are in CONCORD—en rapport—with each other.

Suitable relaxation technique and suggestion may be employed to advantage for the establishing of this harmony where it is felt that this is weak or absent.

Healing magnetism is, fortunately, a very safe form of treat­ment, even when conducted by lay people, in that a diagnosis of the complaint is not essential, for it cannot and does not affect the good results that follow the treatment. This does not mean, how­ever, that professional advice should not be sought in serious cases, but whatever the clinical diagnosis findings may be, there are no contraindications to magnetic treatment. No injurious effects or risks are to be feared from the use of this method whatever the medical history and present complaint of the patient may be.

It should be apparent that when the whole body is treated with human health-and-strength-giving radiations all the parts of the sick organism receive something of these rays, producing the harmony that is so necessary for the well-being of the individual under treatment. Hence, the result is not a mere improvement, but a complete cure in many cases, provided that destructive processes have not proceeded beyond repair so that they have become irreversible—and who can say for certain that they are!

Human radiations—the odic force— can actually be seen with the naked eye, not in the light of day, as they are not sufficiently luminous, but in a subdued light with a dark background.

If say the finger tips of each hand are spread out and are held opposite to each other about one inch apart emanations will be seen. They can be described as bluish or bluish-grey in color and appear as strands of cobweb, or strands of chewing gum with a gossamer appearance in the spaces between the fingers. On the hands being separated the "lines of force" become thinner, and, naturally, as they are brought closer to each other, the strands appear thicker. A faint bluish mist can be discerned between the finger spaces, as already mentioned. If the fingers of each hand are moved up and down in conjunction with their opposites the strands will be seen to accompany the motions. They become more visible as the eyes become accustomed to the semi-darkness in which the finger movements are observed. It is just these radi­ations that emanate from the hands of the operator that act as a curative influence and become absorbed by the patient receiving the magnetic passes over his body generally, and over the part affected, in particular.

The healing touch has been known right down history, and most of us can sense the influence of the touch by different people in the common hand-shake. Such a lot can be conveyed to mind and body by touch, and when concentrated upon and used for healing purposes, it can and does have profound curative effects.

As a garment worn close to the skin can accumulate electricity and its discharge perceived by the crackling sound and seen by the naked eye in the form of sparks on removing the article of clothing, so I feel that the garment of Christ was saturated with healing magnetism when it touched the woman with the issue of blood on her putting her stretched out hand upon it, with a mind and body completely receptive to this wonderful power.

The application of this power is dealt with in the next chapter.

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