And the work thus commenced continues until the death of the animal.  For there is a constant using-up and breaking-down of cell and tissue, which the organism must replace.  And so the vegetative mind of the plant, or insect, or animal, or man, is constantly at work building up new cells from the food, throwing out worn-out and used-up material from the system.  Not only this, but it attends to the circulation of the blood in order that the materials for the building up may be carried to all parts of the system.  It attends to the digestion and assimilation of the food—­the wonderful work of the organs of the body.  It attends to the healing of wounds, the fight against disease, the care of the physical body.  And all this out of the plane of consciousness—­in the infant man the animal world, the vegetable kingdom—­ever at work, untiring, intelligent, wonderful.  And this plane of mind is in man as well as in the plant, and it does its work without aid from the conscious part of man, although man may interfere with it by adverse conscious thought, which seems to paralyze its efforts.  Mental Healing is merely the restoring of normal conditions, so that this part of the body may do its work without the hindrance of adverse conscious thought.

On this plane of the mind is found all of the vital functions and operations.  The work is done out-of-consciousness, and the consciousness is aware of this part of the mind only when it makes demands upon the conscious for food, etc.  On this plane also resides the elementary instinct that tends toward reproduction and sexual activity.  The demand of this part of the mind is always “increase and multiply,” and according to the stage of growth of the individual is the mandate carried out, as we shall see presently.  The elementary impulses and desires that we find rising into the field of consciousness come from this plane of the mind.  Hunger, thirst and the reproductive desires are its messages to the higher parts of the mind.  And these messages are natural and free from the abuses and prostitution often observed attached to them by the intellect of man in connection with his unrestrained animal impulses.  Gluttony and unnatural lust arise not from the primitive demand of this plane of the mind—­for the lower animals even are free from them to a great extent—­but it is reserved for man to so prostitute these primitive natural tendencies, in order to gratify unnatural and artificial appetites, which serve to frustrate nature rather than to aid her.

As Life advanced in the scale and animal forms appeared on the scene new planes of mind were unfolded, in accordance to the necessity of the living forms.  The animal was compelled to hunt for his food—­to prey upon other forms, and to avoid being preyed upon by others.  He was compelled to struggle for the unfoldment of latent powers of his mind that would give him means to play his part in the scheme of life.  He was compelled to do certain things in order to