THE EMMANUEL MOVEMENT 363 



selves of the services of skilled medical and surgical specialists, who have 

 offered to cooperate with us. 



All patients are referred to these specialists first, and only those 

 found to be suffering from the purely functional nervous disorders are 

 admitted to the classes; this is done to avoid the objection that the 

 employment of psychotherapy " in diseases which obviously require 

 physical interference, may result in death through neglect " ; but espe- 

 cially because " disorders of this nature are peculiarly associated with 

 the moral life " — and " moral maladies require moral treatment." 



The philosophy of the movement is simple; the fundamental idea 

 is the existence in each of us of a subconscious or subliminal mind, 

 which is a normal part of our spiritual nature and is responsible for our 

 unconscious and automatic movements, thoughts and motives. It is 

 this subconscious mind which responds to hypnotic suggestion, after 

 the conscious mind has been put to sleep; but even without resort to 

 hypnotism, one of the most important characteristics is its suggestibility, 

 its subjection to moral influence and direction. 



The functional disorders of the nervous system such as neurasthenia, 

 psychasthenia, hysteria, hypochondria and the like, are believed to 

 be diseases of the subconscious ; caused by a dissociation of consciousness, 

 i. e., by certain portions of consciousness having become detached from 

 the main stream. 



By "psychic reeducation, utilization of reserve energy, suggestions 

 given in hypnosis or in states of deep abstraction, thefe follows a re- 

 association, a synthesis of the dissociated state, and a return to a state 

 of healthy mindedness." And the susceptibility of the subconscious 

 mind to suggestion is believed to afford the means of accomplishing 

 this. 



How this is actually applied in the clinic will be understood better 

 perhaps, if I quote directly from Mr. Powell, one of Dr. Worcester's 

 earliest pupils and imitators. 



After the discussion and the prescription of good books the patient is 

 seated in the comfortable morris chair before the fire, which I take care by 

 this time to have burning low — is taught by rhythmic breathing and by visual 

 imagery to relax the muscles, and is led into the silence of the mind by 

 tranquilizing suggestion. Then in terms of the spirit, the power of the 

 mind over the body is impressed upon the patient's consciousness, and soothing 

 suggestions are given for the relief of the specific ills. 



In addition to the clinic at which individual treatments are thus 

 given, there is, at Emmanuel Church, a mid-week meeting, at which, 

 after singing and Bible reading, requests for prayer are read and 

 answered, a short, practical address, applying the teachings of Christ 

 to human ills, followed by an hour of social intercourse in the social 

 room of the church. For the benefit of the doctors, ministers, social 

 workers and others who desired to study the movement, a course of 



