Three Thousand Years of Mental Healing

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

23101

Title

Three Thousand Years of Mental Healing

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

George Barton Cutten traces the three-millennium history of mental healing, exploring how the mind influences physical health. Blending religious exorcism, medieval superstition, and early scientific inquiry, this illustrated volume examines the evolution of therapeutic practices from ancient civilizations to the nineteenth century, offering a comprehensive overview of a subject that bridges faith, psychology, and medicine.

Summary up to 500 words

In 'Three Thousand Years of Mental Healing,' George Barton Cutten presents a comprehensive historical survey tracing the evolution of the relationship between mental states and physical health. The work begins by establishing that the connection between the mind and body is not a modern discovery but a fundamental aspect of human experience, evidenced by ancient traditions linking fright to whitening hair or anger to fatal apoplexy. Cutten argues that while early healers combined the roles of priest, magician, and physician, the concept of mental healing eventually bifurcated into religious and non-religious branches, a division that only fully materialized with the advent of Mesmerism. The text details how early Christians viewed disease primarily as the work of demons, leading to widespread practices of exorcism. These rituals extended beyond humans to include the expulsion of evil spirits from animals and insects, such as frogs, flies, and even eels, which were believed to be possessed by malevolent entities causing pestilence. As the narrative progresses, Cutten explores the transition from purely spiritual explanations to the inclusion of psychological principles. He notes that while religious healers often claimed unlimited power to cure any ailment, non-religious or 'scientific' healers tended to distinguish between functional and organic diseases. Cutten challenges the rigid classification of conditions like cancer as purely organic, suggesting that mental influence may stimulate the body's own healing mechanisms. He posits that the body possesses the capacity to produce cures, and mental means can aid this process. The book serves as a vital bridge between the supernatural beliefs of the past and the emerging scientific understanding of psychotherapy. It illustrates how various sects and individuals throughout history have sought to harness the power of the mind for cure, demonstrating that successful healing often depends on the individual's temperament and the specific form of suggestion employed, rather than any particular creed or philosophy.

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Categories

• Psychology