Although
mesmerism was first brought to the attention of men by Mesmer in Europe less than two hundred years ago, it has been practiced more or less since time began.
Readers
of the ordinary newspapers of the day might easily believe that human existence is precarious and even perilous, so laden are their pages with accounts of evil—cupidity and crime, poverty and pain, disaster, disease, and death.
When
the prodigal son said, "Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me," he was stirred by the desire for independence, for release from parental control.
After
the children of Israel had been miraculously liberated from bondage in Egypt, after they had been led through the Red Sea, and in the wilderness had been fed with manna and had been given water out of a rock—even then they turned from the worship of God and made obeisance to a golden calf.
