At this point, I should also call your attention to the effect of “prana,” or life energy, in some cases of healing.  This prana is what Western healers mean when they speak of “human magnetism” in their healing work.  So far from being an imaginary force, as claimed by the physical scientists and materialists, it is known to all occultists as an active principle of the human body, and as of great efficacy in the psychic treatment of disease.  I shall mention the details of this form of treatment as we proceed—­I mention it at this place merely to call your attention to the fact of its existence.

Before passing on to the consideration of other phases of the subject before us, I would like to call your attention to the fact that from the earliest days of history there have been recorded instances of some form of psychic healing.  In the earlier days the psychic healing work was left entirely in the hands of the priesthood of the various religions prevailing in the several counties of the world.  Claiming to have an exclusive divine sanction to perform healing work, these priests used various ceremonies, rites, incantations, etc., in order to obtain their results.  In many cases these priests were ignorant of the real psychic forces invoked and set into operation; they merely practiced methods which had been found to work out effectively, and which had been handed down to them by their predecessors.  In other cases, however, the priests undoubtedly were skilled occultists, and had a very full knowledge of the forces they were using; though, as the masses of the people were very ignorant it was impossible to acquaint them with these things so far above their understanding; and, consequently, the priests applied the healing forces under the disguise of their religious ceremonies and rites.

From time to time, however, as civilization progressed, there came into prominence persons who worked cures of physical ills by means of magical ceremonies and other similar methods, but who were outside of the priesthood.  Some of these men undoubtedly had a very fair knowledge of the real secret of their cures, though they disguised them to suit the mental condition of their patients, and, also, probably for purposes of self glorification.  In other cases, however, it is probable that these healers had merely stumbled across the fact that certain things said in a certain way tended to work cures; or that certain physical objects seemed to have therapeutic virtue.  They did not realize that the whole healing virtue of their systems depended upon the strong idea in their own minds, coupled with the strong faith and confidence in the mind of the patient.  And so the work went on.