Perhaps the most simple method of healing by psychic influence is that which is at the same time the oldest method, i.e., the “laying on of hands.”  This method was revived about twenty years ago in America and Europe by the new school of “magnetic healing” which sprung rapidly into public favor.  The other schools of psychic healing, generally known as “mental healing,” “spiritual healing,” “divine healing,” etc., generally frown upon the use of the hands in psychic healing, deeming it “too material,” and too much allied to hypnotism, etc.  But this view is quite bigoted and narrow, for this method has no relation to hypnotism, and, moreover, it gives the patient the benefit of the flow of prana from the healer, while at the same time producing the psychic effect on the astral body, as I have just mentioned.

I take the liberty of quoting here something on this subject from my little book entitled “The Human Aura.”  In the chapter of that book devoted to the consideration of the subject of “Auric Magnetism,” I said:  “In cases of magnetic healing, etc., the healer by an effort of his will (sometimes unconsciously applied) projects a supply of his pranic aura vibrations into the body of his patient, by way of the nervous system of the patient, and also by means of what may be called the induction of the aura itself.  The mere presence of a person strongly charged with prana, is often enough to cause an overflow into the aura of other persons, with a resulting feeling of new strength and energy.  By the use of the hands of the healer, a heightened effect is produced, by reason of certain properties inherent in the nervous system of both healer and patient.  There is even a flow of etheric substance from the aura of the healer to that of the patient, in cases in which the vitality of the latter is very low.  Many a healer has actually, and literally, pumped his life force and etheric substance into the body of his patient, when the latter was sinking into the weakness which precedes death, and has by so doing been able to bring him back to strength and life.  This is practically akin to the transfusion of blood—­except that it is upon the psychic plane instead of the physical.”

But the true “magnetic healer” (call him by whatever name you wish) does not make this pranic treatment the all-in-all of his psychic treatment.  On the contrary it is but the less subtle part, which leads up to the higher phases.  While treating his patients by the laying on of hands, he, at the same time, strives to induce in the mind of the patient the mental image of restored health and physical strength; he pictures the diseased organ as restored to health and normal functioning; he sees the entire physiological machinery operating properly, the work of nutrition, assimilation, and excretion going on naturally and normally.  By proper words of advice L and encouragement he awakens hope and confidence in the mind of the patient, and thus obtains the co-operation of that mind in connection to his own mental efforts.  The astral body responds to this treatment, and begins to energize the physical organs and cells into normal activity—­and the journey toward health is begun.