Page:The Quimby Manuscripts.djvu/261

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THE WORLD OF THE SENSES
257

But our belief, thoughts and opinions can change. So when we say a person never changes it is as much as to say he is only a brute. We say that our tastes change. Does the principle change, or our belief? The fact that we are aware of the change shows the change must be in that which can change.

Then what is it that does not change? It is that Principle that never moves, the foundation of all things. It is that which says when we have found out something new, as we think, “Why did you not find it out before?” It says to us when we are investigating certain mathematical truths, “This truth has always existed, and we believed it.” This something is Wisdom. It does not come or go, but is like light. You cannot keep it out of sight, in fact you acknowledge it in every act. But that which acknowledges it is not the something acknowledged. For instance, if you work out a problem aright, you acknowledge a wisdom that existed before you knew it. The trouble is to get our senses attached to Wisdom so that we shall not change.

THE EFFECT OF MIND UPON MIND

It is an undisputed fact which philosophy has never explained, that persons affect each other when neither are conscious of it. According to the principle by which I cure the sick such instances can be accounted for, and it can be proved beyond a doubt that man is perfectly ignorant of the influences that act upon him, and being ignorant of the cause is constantly liable to the effect. To illustrate this I will relate a case that came under observation.

A woman brought her little son, about five years old, to be treated by me. When I sat with the child I found his symptoms were similiar to those which people have in spinal or rheumatic troubles. But the child being ignorant of names, and having no fear of disease could only describe his feelings in this way: He complained of being tired. Sometimes he said his leg was sore and sometimes his head was tired. To me his feelings were as intelligent as any odor with which I am familiar. I described his feelings to his mother, telling how he would appear at times. This she said was correct, and feeling impressed with the truth I told her she said she would sit with me and see if I were equally correct in describing her case. I found that the mother had precisely the same feelings as the child, yet she