healing process much easier.
In fact, with the proper degree of faith and confidence on the part of the
patient, there is but little need of a healer, for the patient may treat
and cure himself. However, in most cases, the presence of the healer aids
materially in arousing the fate and confidence of the patient, and hastens
the cure.

Again, so far as the theories underlying the cures are concerned,
occultists are able to reduce them all to a single working theory or
principle, which includes all the rest. Brushing aside all technical
details, and all attempts to trace back the healing process to the
ultimate facts of the universe, I may say that the gist of the principle
of all psychic healing is that of influencing the astral foundation of the
various organs and parts, cells and centres, so as to make it proceed to
manifest a more perfect physical counterpart. All psychic healing is
really accomplished on the astral body first--then the physical body
responds to the renewed activities of its astral counterpart. To get the
real significance of this statement it is necessary for you to realize
just what the astral body really is. This once grasped, the difficulties
vanish, and you are able to form a clear conception of the entire matter
and process.

The astral body is a precise counterpart of the physical body, its organs,
its parts, its centres, and its cells. In fact, the astral body is the
pattern upon which the physical body is materialized. The astral body is
composed of an etheric substance of a very high rate of vibration. In one
sense it may be considered as a very subtle form of matter--in another as
a semi-materialized form of force or energy. It is finer and more subtle
that the rarest vapors or gases known to science. And, yet, it has a
strong degree of tenacity and cohesiveness that enables it to resist
attacks from the material side of nature. As I have said, each organ,
part, centre or cell, of the physical body has its astral pattern or
basis. In fact, the physical body has been built up, in whole and in all
of its parts, on the pattern and base of the astral body. Moreover, in
case of impaired functioning of the physical organs or parts, and impaired
activity of the physical body, its limbs, etc., if we can manage to arouse
the activities of the astral body we may cause it to re-materialize or
re-energize the physical body, and thus restore health and activity to it.
If the liver, for instance, is not