PHINEAS P. QUIMBY AND THE POWERS OF THE MIND
by Dr Ian Ellis-Jones [A precis of the talk]
Phineas P. Quimby, a Maine clockmaker, inventor, mesmerist and metaphysical healer, is generally recognised as the ‘Father of New Thought.’ His experiences and practices of mental healing were the real beginnings of, and foundation for, New Thought. His system of alternative healing was a metaphysical form of insight-oriented psychotherapy together with autosuggestion. His methods were also the beginning of what became known as the ‘new psychology’ and ‘mental therapeutics.’
Even more importantly, Quimby paved the way for the whole field of modern psychosomatic medicine. New Thought understood the nature of functional illness long before depth psychology. Quimby can be said to have ‘discovered’ the subconscious (unconscious) mind. He understood that there were two separate functions of the mind—conscious and subconscious. This was a remarkable discovery at that time.
Quimby was not religious by orthodox standards. Indeed, he was suspicious of both orthodox medicine and the established churches. Even though he often referred to Christianity in his teachings, he taught that erroneous and unhealthy religious beliefs were at the root of many physical illnesses. At the heart of Quimby’s methods of healing was his belief that ‘the explanation is the cure.’ Disease is an error, the only remedy for which is the truth which is health. ‘Disease is the misery of our belief.’
Quimby discovered that the individual has the power of creation, that each person is the cause of one’s experience, and that our reward or punishment in in ourselves. He demonstrated that the human body moves as it is moved upon by the mind, that is, the body acts as it is acted upon, and becomes, in effect, a mirror of one's mind. He developed and used an ‘argumentative method’ of healing in which he would convince the patient and himself that the sickness was due to false beliefs, groundless fears and negative patterns in the subconscious mind. He would explain that the basis of all healing was a change of belief and would build up evidence for the healing power within, finally rendering a verdict in the ‘courthouse’ of the mind in favour of both the patient and himself.
In the later stage of his healing career Quimby tended to use what was called the ‘absolute method’ of healing. He would mention the name of the patient, silently contemplate the qualities and attributes of God as Infinite Intelligence, Boundless Love, and the source and restorer of perfect health. He would feel and envision the Power and Love of God being focused on the patient.
In Quimby’s ‘psychoanalytic’ methods of healing he didn’t ask the patient questions nor did he encourage the patient to ‘babble’ about their complaints. Instead, Quimby would tell the patient how they felt and why, ‘reading’ the mental and psychic state of the patient and using his imagination constructively. He taught others how to do the same. He sought to correct and displace self-deception and misbeliefs about illness, religion and God.
Quimby discovered or rediscovered that our ideas, beliefs and opinions activate our mind and condition us. The mind is simply a medium for ideas and impressions, being both a receiver and a transmitter of impressions. We become an expression of our beliefs. He wrote, ‘Man is belief expressed,’ ‘To believe is to act,’ and 'What we believe, that we create.’
Quimby understood the nature and origins of obsessional thinking and addiction. Impressions lead to assumptions and presumptions. Assumptions and presumptions lead to beliefs and misbeliefs. The latter harden into obsessions and other rigid, even fixed, states of mind. All such thinking is a process of fixation ‘attaching one’s senses to an idea.’
There is One Mind and that Mind is God. All minds subsist in the One Mind. Quimby developed the concept of ‘mingling minds’. He wrote, ‘Our minds mingle like atmospheres, and each person has his identity in that atmosphere.'
You can put to good use Quimby’s methods and principles of healing in your own life and in the lives of others.
--------------------------------------
Source
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuGc126nyYk
No comments:
Post a Comment