Greetings
This is Max Freedom Long speaking again, the subject being Huna and the Ten Elements which go to make up the man.
We have discussed the three spirits in man and the three invisible or shadowy bodies in which the spirits live, also the physical body while we are in the flesh. And, lastly, the three forms which the vital force or mana (as it is called in the Hawaiian) takes as it is generated by the low or subconscious self and put to work by one of the three selves.
I want to tell you the difference between the modem concept of the use of the hypnotic mana and the idea as developed in the ages past by the kahunas or initiates into Huna. Oddly enough, the mana, as used by the modem man, began as Mesmerism, and it is said by the kahunas to be very strong and very real, but is denied existence by the Psychologists and the hypnotists, at least those not acquainted with Huna.
Antone Mesmer was a French experimenter who added to the gentle science of healing with magnets, current at that time, by carrying magnets on his person and absorbing the magnetism from them, as he thought, then, when charged up, sending the magnetism to a person who needed healing. Once he had taken the step of using the acquired magnetism HIMSELF he began to get remarkable results. Huna tells us that he was expecting his low self to take on an extra charge of mana, and that it did so. But the wonderful discovery of Mesmer was that he could make the magnetic force FLOW from his hands into the patient or into a tub of water, or into a tree, there to remain static until a patient came into contact with it, THEN to flow into the patient and act to heal him. The kahunas symbolized the mana as water, and knew that it would stand still and remain static in the shadowy body of a person, or in a tub of water or a tree, going into action only when SO DIRECTED BY THE MIND OF THE MESMERIST.
The projection is the key point of the discovery. If the patient is given a heavy accumulation of mana by projection, all at once, it may overcome his low self and knock it out of the body momentarily, leaving him unconscious. (This Mesmeric Shock method was used by the kahunas to drive out evil spirits from obsessed patients.) Ordinarily, the mana is made to flow gently into the body of the patient, and to carry with it the healing urge to set the low self to using the extra mana to heal a wound or anything that was wrong. The extra mana and the thought-form of the healer behind it calling for healing, wrought some wonderful changes.
Mesmer, dressed in silk to retain the magnetism, came with practice to be very adept in accumulating low mana and in projecting it. He taught the method to others, and by 1784 had created a furor. Of course, the medical doctors were against it, and many scientists. They, as usual, didn’t want their preconceived ideas of anything changed. They formed a committee to look into the strange matter, and Benjamin Franklin, who was our ambassador to France at the time, was invited to sit in and pass judgment. Dr. Deslon, a student of Mesmer, went before the committee with a number of patients and made some spectacular demonstrations of clairvoyance and the healing of ticks and other things. Most of the doctors and scientists refused to admit that any outside or inside force was being used. Franklin, however, was impressed and thereafter became much interested in magnetism in general. Even flying his kite into a rainstorm and getting indications of electricity from a dangling key.
I have before me a pamphlet printed in 1843 and in it he tells of the pamphlet released in America by Dr. Durand which was supposed to expose the new theory of Animal Magnetism as a complete hoax. Let me read what he had to say about the blast. “Durand promised an exposition of the humbug, and the bait was swallowed without mastication. The book appeared — an elaborate pamphlet — and went off faster than hot cakes at a hungry table. Everybody read it, and believed the humbug was exposed, though they could not, for the life of them, tell how it was exposed. The book is now irretrievably defunct, and it can serve no useful purpose, unless it be to singe a fowl, or stop some hole to keep the wind away.” (I love his way of putting things. Can any of you very old listeners remember when we scalded a chicken, plucked off the feathers, and singed off the remaining hairs by lighting a newspaper and swinging the chicken through the flame? Well, that was the way the chicken was made ready before cooking for the Sunday dinner when the preacher was invited.)
One of the main reasons why Mesmerism could not be laughed away was that through its use, anesthesia could be produced in a fair subject, and under this merciful influence painful surgical operation could be performed. Those who couldn’t be Magnetized had to try to get so drunk they were dead to the world to try to avoid the pain. It was some time before an English doctor, a man named Braid, discovered that the same condition could be brought about, apparently, without the use of bodily magnetism, but by suggestion. This was called “hypnosis” and because it did not need to be explained in terms of magnetism, gradually but grudgingly was accepted by the doctors and scientists as respectable.
As some people could not learn to use Mesmerism or hypnosis, it was a great relief to the medical profession when ether and chloroform were discovered and could be used as an anesthetic for operations. Unfortunately, the use of hypnosis fell into disuse up to modem times, when a few doctors and dentists have revived its use. In our pamphlet we read, “Dr. Shattuck of Lowell has been a very successful magnetizer and lecturer, and has made some new and valuable discoveries in the science. A large tumor was extracted from the shoulder of a lady whom he magnetized, at a public lecture at Lowell, without causing the slightest pain. The incision was made to the depth of two inches. The experiment was performed under the direct personal inspection of three other physicians, who admitted the astonishing insensibility of the patient.
He says in starting chapter 3,
“It is universally contended by Magnetizers that all persons possess the magnetic power — females as well as males, and even children — differing only in degree. It is also believed that all persons can be acted upon by magnetic influence, differing, of course, in the degree of their susceptibility. In answer to the inquiry, ‘Can every person be magnetized?’ we answer — yes. But one individual cannot magnetize everybody… A lesser power cannot overcome a greater. The difference in magnetic power between any two individuals arises from the different amount of vital fluid in their system; from the presence or absence of the intellectual and moral qualifications necessary to perform that operation; and from their knowledge or ignorance of the rules by which the art is governed… The power of magnetizing is greatly increased with practice. The operator gains confidence — learns to economize his power, and to exert it to advantage — and acquires a certain knowledge, feeling, or ‘knack’, which it is almost impossible to explain in language.”
He goes on interestingly to describe the method used with a new subject.
“The magnetizer takes a seat facing his subject, sitting knees touching — almost. He first placed the palms of his own hands upon the hands of the subject, and endeavors to establish an equal degree of warmth between them. He then places the balls of his thumbs against the balls of the thumbs of the subject, holding a gentle pressure. Then abstracting his mind from all other thoughts and objects, and fixing his eyes upon those of the subject, with earnest, determined, penetrating, but somewhat mild expression, he exerts an unremitted, unchanging effort of will, increasing in intensity the longer it continues, until the subject yields before his superior power, and closes his eyes in magnetic sleep.”
No suggestion in words is used, please note, for hypnosis had not been discovered or the word of it not yet spread. Here we see the accumulated mana of the low self sent with the projecting force or guidance of the middle self “will” into the subject. He is expected to fall asleep, and the idea is telepathically transmitted, or he expects to go to sleep. Much of the effective hypnotic power is, in reality, exerted by the expectant subject in a form of self-suggestion.
Our writer says that the magnetized state is deepened by making passes with the hands up and down and along the body, and also on the top of the head one places the hands lightly for a time, also on the stomach. If time allowed, the subject was magnetized a few times for practice, then was ready for the painless operation.
Mana of two kinds can be projected from a healer to a patient, the mana of the low self, and that of the middle self. The “will” is the middle self way of causing both manas to flow and move, and if the healer is highly charged, the results can be very effective in causing healing.
Snakes were our first Mesmerists, having no legs or arms, they came to project their resident mana over a space and cause a bird to fall under their hungry spell. The magnetized bird fluttered helplessly, the snake came nearer and caught it with ease.
Some groups studying with Huna, project mana through the hands of members of a healing circle and use their combined “wills” to make the mana flow into someone upon whom their hands are laid, and to heal them. In addition to this method, they may then recite a prayer, such as, “Father-Mother, we hold this friend of ours to the Light for healing. Give Him (or her) LIFE ” One can compose a prayer that suits all, but once decided upon, it can be recited by the leader of the group while all members, with hands on the patient, remain quiet and hold a prayerful attitude of mind. Hold this for perhaps half a minute, then end your prayer in the way the kahunas did of old, “Our prayer takes flight. Let the rain of blessings fall. Ah-mana-mana. (Or use “amen” if you wish.) The idea is to close the prayer action and not let it hang dangling. Regular practice often will develop increasing healing ability, and frequently, if there are regular healing sessions being held, the disembodied spirits of people who were healers in life will be attracted to the sessions and help direct the mana poured into the ones to be healed so that healing is more direct and definite. It may be said in passing that unless the intention is to create a deeply magnetized state, no such thing will happen. Mana goes where it is directed and does what it is asked to do if one has full confidence so that one’s low self BELIEVES that what is being done WILL get results. A Doubting Thomas or two in a healing group is bad. If you can’t be reasonably positive and expect results, better draw out and let the rest of the group do the work. Mana will travel or be projected, not only by direct physical contact (which is easiest) but along the line of sight to a person.
The help that one can give oneself with self-suggestion is also great, but, like other ways of projecting or manipulating the manas of the body, one must slowly train the low self and get it to understand what part it is to play in the work. A few people can use the art almost at once. The majority will need practice over a period of a week or more before results become apparent. Some never master the method for themselves, but may be helped by having another person sit with them and give the suggestions.
One may be helped to accumulate and use mana. Self-suggestion can help break down the barriers so that contact can be made with the High Self. This last is very important, and the kahunas had several words that tell us their preoccupation with the subject of getting the low self to contact the High. The aka cord along which contact is made is mentioned in code as “the path”. The word in the code is path and that is la, which also means light, and is the symbol of the High Self. The word for life is o-la, or of the Light. The path was also called “the way”. Jesus, as the High Self, coded a great truth when he said, ‘I am the way, and the LIFE…” In another place he says,”I am the LIGHT of the world.” But the blocked path also came in for attention. We read of the stumbling blocks in the path, and these are things which cause the low self to turn away like a naughty boy and told to go to the Father-Mother. He hides his face and dares not. He is filled with the sharp memories of all his guilts and misdeeds. But I have already told you how we make amends and give until it makes us feel that we are clean and deserve to be allowed to make the contact.
If one is making the most of life and needs no higher Help or Guidance, one is indeed fortunate. His prayer can be for more understanding, more wisdom, and more love for his fellows. “With all your getting, get wisdom,” says the psalmist. If one feels that his life could be improved upon in various ways, and if a determined effort is in order to improve it, then there is a simple way. It takes practice, but little more.
First, one must decide what is wanted in one’s life, and decide to take steps to obtain it. Get out your diary, or if you haven’t got one, get a small book that can be carried in pocket or purse — a small account book will do. In it write down the things you want to try to do or become with the help of the low self and the High Self. You will practice self-suggestion on the one, and prayer on the other. You are going to get all three of your selves integrated or working together — which they should be but usually are not.
Write in your book all the things you would like yourself to do and be and become. Try to plan to make the most of your time, to study, grow in understanding, be healthier by observing health rules, be kinder, more sympathetic. Or to be more worthy of love. To correct bad habits. List them all, then go through the list and pick out the things you feel are the most important to you and those near and dear to you.
That done, try writing out the commands you will use in self-suggestion. For instance, I am eating only the right amounts of the right food every day.” When you get several commands worked out to your satisfaction, memorize them. Get the High Self to help by accumulating mana, and sending the thought-forms of the prayer-commands to it. Get off by yourself. Tense one or two muscles at a time and relax them completely. When relaxed, begin to recall your commands and to use them to command your low self to help. “Every day, in every way, I am getting better and better”, was the Coué formula for health, if health is what you most need. In the relaxed condition your low self will accept the suggestions and act on them. Believe that you are obeying the commands. That’s it.
Questions and Answers for Discussion
Q: Did the kahunas use mesmerism?
A: They did, very expertly. They could accumulate a large charge of mana and when they touched someone, knock them cold. Some American Indian medicine men did the same thing. The Aboriginals in Australia were past masters at the art and candidates for initiation into the level of the “Clever Men”, had to be good subjects as well as good operators. They used self-suggestion to put themselves into a light or heavy trance and then to go out in their shadowy bodies to distant places and learn things. They helped the police in modem time, knowing just where to look for a lost person or a criminal fleeing from justice. The kahunas used the large charges of mana as a method of driving obsessing spirits out of patients — for there are spirits, you know, and they DO obsess fully, or influence the living slightly or quite a lot. In my books I go into this exhaustively. It is important. Modem doctors use shock treatment for the same purpose, but won’t admit that it is a disembodied spirit that is being made so uncomfortable by electric shocks or insulin convulsions that it will leave home. Jesus called them “Devils”, and cast them out.
Q: How can we tell whether we are slightly influenced by an obsessing spirit or much influenced — or not influenced at all by one?
A: We have worked out a system through which the low self — who can see or sense the presence of such spirits — can tell us who is obsessed and to what degree. This system is called Psychometric Analysis, and I have a book about it under that title, if you are interested. The low self for some strange reason cannot tell the middle self directly what it finds when sent to examine another person, but it can convey the information through movements of a pendulum. If your subconscious takes easily to the use of the pendulum, you can teach it to swing straight up and down over a signature if the person is being influenced by a spirit. (Such spirits are called in Huna “eating companions”, for they hang around and eat your mana to keep strong, then exert a hypnotic force to control you and make you do certain things — usually not very good things.) Once the “agreement” is reached as to the meaning of straight line pendulum swings, or of circles and deformed circles, the reading can be taken from a signature written in ink or a picture. The low self follows the shadowy thread which is attached to the signature or picture — even a picture printed in the newspaper — and in a few moments finds the one to be read, looks him over carefully, and is ready to report by pendulum and a clock face chart, over which the pendulum is held, just what it found. It will tell you whether the person is good and constructive or bad and destructive, whether he is obsessed to a slight or great degree, whether by one spirit or several, and about how intelligent that person is. Some day we will have a good Psychometric Analysis reader on the staff of all prison boards to tell us what prisoners are really reformed and what ones will go right hack to crime as soon as paroled. The low self has some very fine talents peculiar to itself and which the middle self can’t match.
Psychometry is one of them. Clairvoyance, with the help of the High Self, is another. The middle self seems to be a very dumb self in many ways, but it can give orders and does so, taking all the credit for itself until we discover the skills of the low self. Self-suggestion is a way of cooperating with the low self and also with the High.
If you can get your team of three selves integrated or working happily together, by means of self-suggestion or the Huna-type prayer plus self-suggestion, you can start rebuilding your life in a very large and lovely way.
And now, my aloha.
