Page:The astral world, higher occult powers; (IA astralworldhighe00tiff).pdf/58

 influences of the body. When the mind is thus separated, and this mesmeric sympathy is established between the subject and the operator, any surgical operation can be performed upon the subject without giving him pain, because his being of sensation is removed from his body; but you can not pull the hair of the operator, or hurt his finger, or otherwise give him pain, without giving pain to the subject. Whatever the operator enjoys or suffers, the subject also enjoys and suffers. Now it is in accordance with this principle that Spirits of the other world gratify their desires. Spirits who visit this world are obliged to make use of and come into rapport with, those who have appetites and desires similar to their own. If the mind is separated from its own body, it can experience the sensations of another body with which it may come into rapport. On the same principle a good mind, or, if you please, the Divine Mind, can flow into the individual mind, and impart thought and sensation to that mind. Or a good Spirit can flow into a medium, and awaken sensations and thoughts in accordance with the law of action and re-action, becoming negative or positive, according as he wishes to impart or receive influence. Here, then, is the means by which the Spirit is enabled to gratify its desires by visiting earth. Those Spirits who allow themselves to be influenced by their lusts are called tempting Spirits, and they influence individuals on earth that they may make use of them as a means of gratifying these lusts. The same law is manifested by individuals in the body. It is not because Spirits wish to injure the bodies which they thus use, but because they desire