156 Life and Matter [chap, ix 



the idea of guidance or control, and so 

 to the efficacy of prayer, and to many 

 another practical outcome of religious 

 belief. It becomes therefore an important 

 question to consider whether it is true that 

 life or mind is incompetent to disarrange or 

 interfere with matter at all, except as itself 

 an automatic part of the machine, whether 

 in fact it is merely an ornamental appendage 

 or phantasmal accessory of the working 

 parts. 



Now experience the same kind of ex- 

 perience as gave us our scheme of me- 

 chanics shows us that to all appearance live 

 animals certainly can direct and control 

 mechanical energies to bring about desired 

 and preconceived results ; and that man can 

 definitely will that those results shall occur. 

 The way the energy is provided is understood, 

 and its mode of application is fairly under- 

 stood ; what is not understood is the way its 

 activity is determined. Undoubtedly our body 

 is material and can act on other matter ; and 

 the energy of its operations is derived from 



