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May 23, 2005 – Subject: Ancient and Modern Necromancy,alias Mesmerism and Hypnotism Denounced.

DEAR FRIENDS: Mary Baker Eddy gave her students 26 subjectsfor weekly Bible Lessons, to be covered twice yearly. Flowingthrough the year in her order of the subjects, we hereby presentfresh views of each one by outstanding Christian Scientists. In thisway, we hope to partake with you of new unfoldments of her infiniterevelation.

Our selection this week is from – An association address by WilliamDuncan Kilpatrick as given in reminiscences of Reginald G. Kerry ofhis practitioner, Emma Dunn and teacher William Duncan Kilpatrick.

ASSOCIATIONS ADDRESSES

ANIMAL MAGNETISM

I have on my desk a letter from a student which reads as follows:“My one big question is about animal magnetism, mesmerism andmental malpractice. What are they? How do they work? How do yourecognize them in your experience? — and, of course, how do youprotect yourself from them?”

In “Science and Health,” on page 103, Mrs. Eddy says, ‘As namedin Christian Science, animal magnetism or hypnotism is the specificterm for error, or mortal mind.” “Magnetism” is defined in thedictionaries as “1. Property quality or state, of being magnetic;manifestation of that force in nature which is seen in a magnet. 2.The science of magnetic phenomena. 3. Power to attract; power toexcite the feelings and gain the affection. 4. Hypnotism.” Onedefinition of “animal” in the dictionaries is, “Pertaining to the soul orwill.” Animal is in reality derived from the Latin word ANIMUS, meaningmind. So while the word animal in one sense refers to animate matteror animal creatures, the basic meaning of the word “animal,” thatfrom which it is derived, and whereby it receives the definition ofmind or will, as above given, is mind. So the word animal, in its lastanalysis, refers and pertains to the mental rather than to the physical.So the term animal magnetism has nothing to do with matter. In factit leads away from matter into the mental, and gives us a clear andsuccinct statement, that matter is not material, but is the mental orthe outcome of mortal mind’s so-called power to attract. In the

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dictionaries animal magnetism is used interchangeably withmesmerism, just as Mrs. Eddy has used these two terms. Sowith the understanding that the term animal magnetism meansthe power of the mortal mind or will to attract or to deceive, wecan begin to see why Mrs. Eddy used this term in her designationof all evil.

HYPNOTISM AND MESMERISM

In this definition of animal magnetism, as quoted above from“Science and Health,” Mrs. Eddy also calls animal magnetism“hypnotism.” Material existence is a state of hypnotism ormesmerism. Hypnotism may be said to be the so-called influenceor operation of one mortal mind over another, while mesmerismis self inflicted. Hypnotism includes mesmerism, while mesmerismmay not include hypnotism. You and I admit into our consciousnessso-called carnal thoughts, which come to us from a supposititiousmind which exists outside ourselves. These thoughts which youand I admit into our consciousness are objectified as matter, sin,sickness, etc. The matter, the sin and the sickness which youand I experience in our so-called material existence, or with whichwe come in contact, is self-created. This self created materialexistence is a stage of mesmerism which may also be calledhypnotism. We are selfmesmerized into believing in a materialexistence. This self-mesmerism might be said to be also a stateof self-hypnotism. Matter does not exist. You and I, in our conceptof materiality, like the man in the insane ward who thinks he isGeorge Washington, are just self-mesmerized.

Now, if one person were to willfully take possession of thementality of another and, through the influence of manipulatedand directed thought, were to direct the thinking of that person,that would be hypnotism in its primitive state, and would not involvemesmerism.

Mesmerism may be said more specifically to be self-inflicted,whereas hypnotism may be said to be the willful control of onemortal mind over another mortal mind.

MENTAL MALPRACTICE

Mental malpractice includes all wrong thinking, and may be

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detected readily by anyone who understands the teachings ofChristian Science. All wrong thinking is mental malpractice, and thereis no one on the face of this earth who is not in some degree amental malpractitioner. As soon as you and I cease to be mentalmalpractitioners, we will cease to exist in the flesh. Anything in thought,statement or conclusion, which does not square with the spiritualteachings of Christian Science, is mental malpractice. It is a form ofmental malpractice to believe that we live in a material body. We saywe do not believe that we live in matter, but if we know that we didnot, we would not be conscious of a material body, and as long aswe are conscious of a material body, we are malpractitioners.

There is a distinction, of course, between mental malpractice andmalicious mental malpractice. Malicious mental malpractice is theuse of enlightened thought, intentionally directed to do personal harmor injury. Hate, malice, revenge and the like would come undermalicious mental malpractice. The remedy for animal magnetism isChristian Science in all its branches. Every right thought you entertain,is handling a certain degree of animal magnetism. If you are in aquandary as to what animal magnetism is, consult the five physicalsenses. They will furnish you with a complete answer to the questionas to what animal magnetism is. Everything that you see, feel, taste,smell and hear is your answer to the question of what animalmagnetism is. It is also your answer to what mesmerism or hypnotismis, because the material state is not a state of matter, it is a state ofmesmerism or hypnotism. Every thought which does not squarewith the teachings of Christian Science, is mental malpractice.

LOVE MORE

No one who knows how to think in Christian Science need long be indoubt as to what mental malpractice is, nor need he be long in doubtas to how to detect it. Anyone who knows that twice five are ten, isnot long in doubt as to how to handle twice five are eleven. Youprotect yourself from twice five are eleven by your understandingthat twice five are ten. You protect yourself from hate by loving. Youprotect yourself from poverty and lack by giving. You protect yourselffrom the belief of man as in-dwelling in matter or a limited body, byunderstanding that man is expression and not suppression ordepression. You protect yourself from the belief that there is life,truth and intelligence in matter, by the understanding that “All is infinite

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Mind and its infinite manifestation, for God is All-in-all.” You protectyourself from the shafts of malicious malpractice by loving, bykindness and by seeing your brother man as a child of God, incapableof hating or doing harm. You never work against a malicious mentalmalpractitioner. You love him. You can’t love him if you fear him orhate him. You love him. To fear him is to make that real, which youwould try to see as unreal. The only place an enemy or a hater canexist, is in your own consciousness. You never would be consciousof, or become the victim of, hate or malice or malicious mentalmalpractice, if the possibility of such a thing did not exist in your ownconsciousness; that is, unless error existed in your own thought.Don’t ever worry about a malpractitioner or a hater. Be concernedas to your own thinking and correct that, and you will never sufferfrom another’s wrong thoughts, no matter how evil or hateful thosethoughts may claim to be.