A MIND DISEASED 67 



prises, and otherwise to astonish both their friends and themselves with 

 unexpectedly rapid, at least temporary, improvement. 



But it must always be remembered that even the most intelligent 

 use of even this most scientific initiatory method does not often serve 

 other than as a very serviceable prerequisite to imperatively needed 

 subsequent measures, whose main object should be, not only as thor- 

 oughly to fill the vacancy thus made by evulsion of the destructive evil 

 as possible, but also to put something more constructive and permanent 

 in its place. Closely investigated, the human mental activities seem 

 largely to be built upon a system of self -mimicries ("auto-mimesis"), 

 which fact may often be very wisely taken advantage of in dealing with 

 its abnormalities, especially of the curable order. If through some un- 

 toward experience or constitutional "predisposition," a painful and 

 dangerous " copy " has some time been deeply set in the mind, and sub- 

 sequently this has got into the vicious habit of being reproduced in 

 endless repetition, and so beyond self-correction, not only has this im- 

 portant fact a most imperative need to be duly noted, and considered, 

 and acted upon, from first to last, but also has the equally important 

 fact, that almost every remediable instance of a mind diseased actually 

 has this peculiarity, and attention to this may often reveal the right 

 clue as to what will eventually do the most good and do it most 

 promptly and permanently. 



Remembering these facts, then, it is soon found that in very many 

 cases indeed the most practical thing to do, after the preliminary men- 

 tal cleansing has been effected, is at once almost obtrusively to proceed 

 to introduce into the sufferer's mind a greater or less number of most 

 definite, clear, interest-laden, moving, and if possible unusual ideas, 

 which, being by the sufferer supposed to emanate from the mind of 

 some one whom he looks upon as more of an authority than he is ca- 

 pable of being by and for himself, will be allowed to make their way 

 unhindered, so deeply as to become an efficient counter-effecting force, 

 and thus bring about the thoroughly neutralizing and substitutive effect 

 required. In this way, a new copy, which is at once characterized, both 

 by fresh interest and constructive imagery, may be so powerfully and 

 timely, and likewise so aptly, repeated, that duly the mind will almost 

 unconsciously begin to imitate this instead of the old copy, and thus in 

 time will become both successfully refurnished and reinvigorated, and 

 consequently relieved, as well. Undoubtedly such a course, especially 

 if unremittingly enlarged upon and enriched by all such determined, 

 luxurious effort on the part of the sufferers themselves, as will per- 

 petuate the original effect, even until such time as their dried-up mental 

 soil shall be made once more to teem as it should with spring-like re- 

 juvenescence of every old activity, as well as with the germination and 

 growth of as many new interests as possible — undoubtedly such a course 



