Whenwereachthesubjectofmysticism，youwillundergosodeepanimmersionintotheseexaltedstatesofconsciousnessastobewetallover，ifImaysoexpressmyself；andthecoldshiverofdoubtwithwhichthislittlesprinklingmayaffectyouwillhavelongsincepassedaway——doubt，Imean，astowhetherallsuchwritingbenotmereabstracttalkandrhetoricsetdownpourencouragerlesautres。Youwillthenbeconvinced，Itrust，thatthesestatesofconsciousnessof“union“formaperfectlydefiniteclassofexperiences，ofwhichthesoulmayoccasionallypartake，andwhichcertainpersonsmaylivebyinadeepersensethantheylivebyanythingelsewithwhichtheyhaveacquaintance。ThisbringsmetoageneralphilosophicalreflectionwithwhichIshouldliketopassfromthesubjectofhealthy-mindedness，andcloseatopicwhichIfearisalreadyonlytoolongdrawnout。Itconcernstherelationofallthissystematizedhealthy-mindednessandmind-curereligiontoscientificmethodandthescientificlife。
InalaterlectureIshallhavetotreatexplicitlyoftherelationofreligiontoscienceontheonehand，andtoprimevalsavagethoughtontheother。Thereareplentyofpersonsto-day——“scientists“or“positivists。”theyarefondofcallingthemselves——whowilltellyouthatreligiousthoughtisameresurvival，anatavisticreversiontoatypeofconsciousnesswhichhumanityinitsmoreenlightenedexampleshaslongsinceleftbehindandout-grown。Ifyouaskthemtoexplainthemselvesmorefully，theywillprobablysaythatforprimitivethoughteverythingisconceivedofundertheformofpersonality。Thesavagethinksthatthingsoperatebypersonalforces，andforthesakeofindividualends。Forhim，evenexternalnatureobeysindividualneedsandclaims，justasiftheseweresomanyelementarypowers。Nowscience，ontheotherhand，thesepositivistssay，hasprovedthatpersonality，sofarfrombeinganelementaryforceinnature，isbutapassiveresultantofthereallyelementaryforces，physical，chemical，physiological，andpsycho-physical，whichareallimpersonalandgeneralincharacter。Nothingindividualaccomplishesanythingintheuniversesaveinsofarasitobeysandexemplifiessomeuniversallaw。Shouldyoutheninquireofthembywhatmeanssciencehasthussupplantedprimitivethought，anddiscrediteditspersonalwayoflookingatthings，theywouldundoubtedlysayithasbeenbythestrictuseofthemethodofexperimentalverification。Followoutscience’sconceptionspractically，theywillsay，theconceptionsthatignorepersonalityaltogether，andyouwillalwaysbecorroborated。Theworldissomadethatallyourexpectationswillbeexperientiallyverifiedsolong，andonlysolong，asyoukeepthetermsfromwhichyouinferthemimpersonalanduniversal。
Butherewehavemind-cure，withherdiametricallyoppositephilosophy，settingupanexactlyidenticalclaim。LiveasifI
weretrue，shesays，andeverydaywillpracticallyproveyouright。Thatthecontrollingenergiesofnaturearepersonal，thatyourownpersonalthoughtsareforces，thatthepowersoftheuniversewilldirectlyrespondtoyourindividualappealsandneeds，arepropositionswhichyourwholebodilyandmentalexperiencewillverify。Andthatexperiencedoeslargelyverifytheseprimevalreligiousideasisprovedbythefactthatthemind-curemovementspreadsasitdoes，notbyproclamationandassertionsimply，butbypalpableexperientialresults。Here，intheveryheydayofscience’sauthority，itcarriesonanaggressivewarfareagainstthescientificphilosophy，andsucceedsbyusingscience’sownpeculiarmethodsandweapons。
Believingthatahigherpowerwilltakecareofusincertainwaysbetterthanwecantakecareofourselves，ifweonlygenuinelythrowourselvesuponitandconsenttouseit，itfindsthebelief，notonlynotimpugned，butcorroboratedbyitsobservation。