FAITH HEALING.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2218, 21 December 1920, Page 4

FAITH HEALING.

Tabu Wiremtt Ha I ana, the Maori Faith Healer, has won more (han local fame. His reported cures are being discussed from one end of the Dominion to the other, and his name lias even reached Australia. The Otago Daily Times connects Ha tana in a direct line of succession dating back to 1778. with, the coming-'to Paris of a Viennese physician, Frederick Anton Mesmer, the originator of the art of mesmerism, and incidentally of many other things. During the intervening years mesmeric operators became spiritual healers, and their subjects trance mediums, the spiritualist platforms of Britain and America being thronged with magnetic clairvoyants who had developed into “inspirational’’ speakers. Our contemporary quotes Frank Podmore, in his treatise on “Mesmerism and Christian Science,” as saying: But hypnotism is only the youngest and at present by no means the most prominent of the progeny of Mesmer. All the mysticisms and pseudo-sciences of the present day, no doubt, owe something to the Viennese doctor. There are, however, three distinct schemes of thought, each claiming a scientific foundation, whose descent may be traced directly back to that universal system of knowedge whose boast it was to unite two well-known sciences

Astronomy and Medicine, The three faiths in question are the

liuidic theory, which finds its headquarters appropriately enough iu modern Paris; the religion of modern Spiritualism; and [lie movement of Mental Healing, of which the sect known as Christian Scientists are the most prominent representatives. From this out, France, America, and Great Britain vie with one another in producing “prophets” who, espousing the tenets ot one or other of these schools, Mounded forth their respective “gospels,” and enrolled disciples by the thousand. America is responsible for Andrew Jackson Davis and his “Great Harmorda”; for Thomas Lake Harris, founder of the Community of Broeton: and for Mary Baker Eddy, who established Christian Science. “In all ages,” writes Mr Baudouiu, “unofficial healers have obtained remarkable results where orthodox medical skill has failed. This gives food for thought. How does these healereffect their cures ? They do not directly apply suggestion as ordinarily understood; but they are backed by a groat reputation, due to chance or to legend; people believe in them, and they make use of fantastic methods, whose strangeness and illogicality arouse a sense of the marvellous, producing in the patient an emotional state which facilitates the working of auto-suggestion, In these conditions, faith cures.'’ When the circumstances surrounding the cures of lite newly arisen Maori faith healer are carefully examined it will probably lie found that these furl iter remark* of the French psychologist will exactly apply; — Emotion plays a considerable part in the production of suggestions. We think, above all, of faith cures, of cures due to faith in the healer; and we remember that the faith heals in proportion as if is an emotional state. We recall the ease in which, paralysis was cured by the fear resulting from an aerial bombardment. And

we are forced to the conclusion that where voluntary suggestion is concerned, the potent adjuvant, lively emotion, will commonly lie lacking. For while we are fami-

liar with voluntary attention, and

know it to be Jess puissant than spontaneous attention, we know

nothing of voluntary emotion, seeing that emotion is, by definition, a passive state which cannot be manufactured to order. Unle-s, indeed, we can produce it

here we seem to have entered a vicious circle!