THE RELATIONS OF MIND AND BODY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2970, 12 May 1896, Page 3

THE RELATIONS OF MIND AND BODY.

At a large meeting of tho Victoria Institute, hold on Monday, tho Hon A. McArthur in the chair, after the election of several new members, Dr. Schi,field introduced the subject of " The relations of mind and body, or tho powers of the unconscious mind." He began by pointing out that the ego or "permanent nexus " of Herbert Spencer holds a great deal moro than "states of consciousness" together. That although nearly all writers on psychology limit mind to consciousness, its true scope is far wider. A coral island in the Pacific is but the visible summit of a vast submerged mountain ; and so the mind of which we are conscious is but the visible part of a vast structure II a very interesting way Dr Schofield developed the idea and proofs of a subconscious miud showing its selective powers " like the action of a private secretary opening all letters and placing a few before his chief"; its automatic powers as in solving a problem, &c, when " our unconscious mind delivers the result at the doors of our consciousness just like a prepaid parcel." Not only, however, is there sub-con-sciousness but what may be called "supraconsciousness." The whole region in which conscience dwells i 3 largely unconscious, and thus consciousness, like the visible part of the spectrum, occupies the middle ground which tho mind as a whole "reaches all the way; it energises every body eel l , all whose active life it originates." A sane man is one in whom the conscious mind rules, an insane, when it is overpowered by some parts of the subconscious. Passing on to the application of theso principles, Dr. Schofield explained the phenomena of hypnotism, and then dwi It at some length on the powers for evil and for good of the unconscious mind over the body. He showed the great beaiing this has on therapeutics, and taking up hysteria, specially pointed out in detail the history of its phenomena and the steps for its rational cure. The author concluded by referring to the modus operandi of faith healing, quack remedies at hoc genus omne, and appealing to the medical profession and to scientific men generally iu respect to such researches. A dis- j cussion followed, in which many took pa: t