The greater the belief in, and fear of, the power
of the person, the greater the susceptibility to his influence; the
greater the sense of power of neutralizing the power, and the disbelief in
his power to affect them, the greater the degree of immunity: this is the
rule!
Accordingly we find that persons in various stages of the history of the
world have been affected by the influences of witches, sorcerers, and
other unprincipled persons. In most cases these so-called witches and
sorcerers themselves were under the delusion that they were assisted by
the devil or some other supernatural being. They did not realize that they
were simply using perfectly natural methods, and employing perfectly
natural forces. For that matter, you must remember that magnetism and
electricity, in ancient days, were considered as supernatural forces in
some way connected with demonic powers.
Studying the history of witchcraft, sorcery, black-magic, and the like,
you will find that the devotees thereof usually employed some psychometric
method. In other cases they would mould little figures of clay, or of wax,
in the general shape and appearance of the person whom they wished to
affect. It was thought that these little figures were endowed with some
supernatural powers or attributes, but of course this was mere
superstition.
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