Plainly, Lucius's ability is more manifest when it is a question of describing material things, under the suggestion of some one in the audience who mentally tells him where to travel in spirit. Thus he speaks of being “put in communication with Mr. Buck, and being taken by him to his house.” Lucius described the room, “and saw a map lying upon the floor, and told the audience that before he left his house he put a map upon the floor.” These descriptions were convincing to the audience, because they proved that Lucius could actually see at a distance.
Lucius also had mind enough to follow Mr. Quimby's lectures to some extent, for he speaks of one occasion when the lecturer “spoke of mind, and how the mind was acted upon while in the mesmeric state.” The most significant statement is that Quimby, in his remarks, “clearly demonstrated that there was no fluid, and he showed the relation between mind and matter.” But, in confession of his own lack of interest in this striking demonstration, Lucius simply goes on to say, with only a comma between, I have been having a chit chat with a very pretty girl her name is Abey Bedman but mum is the word.”[1]
Rightly interpreted, this explanation leads beyond “animal magnetism” by showing that it is not a question of a supposed “fluid” or of electricity, but of mental influences which no mesmeric theory could account for. But Lucius has no inkling of this. He does note, however, that Mr. Quimby is himself beginning to cure in a remarkable way. He writes, “Mr. Quimby has performed a miracle here. He took a man that had a lame shoulder. It was partially out of joint. He worked upon it, and the man said there was no pain in it. This astonished them. This afternoon the man went about his work as well as ever. . . . [Mr. Quimby] took a man out of the audience (a perfect stranger to him) and effected a cure on his arm. The man had not ben able to raise it up for two years and in a few minutes he was able to raise his arm up to his head, and moved it round free from pain.”[2]
- ↑ This sentence, a characteristic one, is given exactly as found in the journal.
- ↑ These preliminary cases must have taught Mr. Quimby much in regard to the re-establishing of confidence, for later we find him beginning as soon as possible to encourage patients to make an effort to walk or raise their arms, in instances where this power had been lost.
