M. FIGUIER and others do not seem to have been aware that a century before GASSNER, a PIETRO PIPERNO of Naples published a book in which there was a special exorcism or conjurations, as he calls them, for every known disorder, and that this possibly gave the hint for a system of cure to the Suabian.  I have a copy of this work, which is extremely rare, it having been put on the Roman prohibited list, and otherwise suppressed.  But GASSNER himself was suppressed ere long, because the Emperor, Joseph II, cloistered—­that is to say, imprisoned him for life in the Monastery of Pondorf, near Ratisbon.  One must not be too good or Apostle-like or curative—­even in the Church, which discourages trop de zele.

But the general accounts of GASSNER give the impression, which has not been justly conveyed, that he owed his remarkable success in curing himself and others not to any kind of theory nor faith in magnetism, or in religion, so much as unconscious suggestion, aided by a powerful Will which increased with successes.  To simply pray to be cured of an illness, or even to be cured by prayer, was certainly no novelty to any Catholic or Protestant in those days.  The very nature of his experiments in making many people perform the same feats which are now repeated by hypnotizers, and which formed no part of a religious cure, indicate clearly that he was an observer of strange phenomena or a natural philosopher.  I have seen myself an Egyptian juggler in Boulak perform many of these as professed tricks, and I do not think it was from any imitation of French clairvoyance.  He also pretended that it was by an exertion of his Will, aided by magic forms which he read from a book, that he made two boys obey him.  It was probably for these tricks which savored of magic that GASSNER was “retired.”

Having in the previous pages indicated the general method by which Will may be awakened and strengthened, that the reader may as soon as possible understand the simple principle of action, I will now discuss more fully the important topic of influencing and improving our mental powers by easily induced Attention, or attention guided by simple Foresight, and pre-resolution aided by simple auto or self-suggestion.  And I believe, with reason, that by these very simple processes (which have not hitherto been tested that I am aware of by any writer in the light in which I view them); the Will, which is the power of all powers and the mainspring of the mind, can be by means of persuasion increased or strengthened ad infinitum.

It is evident that GASSNER’S method partakes in equal proportions of the principles of the well-known “Faith Cure,” and that of the Will, or of the passive and the active.  What is wanting in it is self-knowledge and the very easily awakened forethought which, when continued, leads to far greater and much more certain results.  Forethought costs little exertion:  it is so calmly active that the weakest minds can employ it; but wisely employed it can set tremendous force in action.