The Henson Journals
Wed 4 February 1925
Volume 38, Pages 198 to 199
[198]
Wednesday, February 4th, 1925.
Suggestion points inevitably beyond itself towards faith as its ultimate goal. In like manner mental analysis and autognosis lead on to the problem of mental synthesis, in which a general philosophic and religious outlook on life is inevitably demanded of both patient and analyst. The patient must work out his own salvation, it is true, but he will turn to the analyst for help and is justified in looking for such help. Some training in ethical and religious philosophy on the part of the analyst is a well–nigh indispensable part of his intellectual equipment in dealing with certain types of psycho–neurosis. On the other hand, no form of spiritual healing can safely dispense with medical opinion, and in particular with the specialized knowledge in neurology and psychiatry, which every well–qualified psycho–therapist possesses.
W. Brown. Suggestion & Mental Analysis
p. 125. (London 1923)
[199]
I spent, perhaps wasted, the morning in reading on the tiresome but fascinating subject of psycho–therapeutics. It is clear to me that there is a section of ecclesiastically–minded doctors who are prepared to "go one better" than the ecclesiastics in the rush back to medieval superstitions: & they join hands with the anthropologically–interested pundits of science who (like Rivers) are amused to see the latest phase of "civilized" medicine reproduce the savage crudities of the earliest!
After lunch Clayton and I motored into Durham, where I presided in the Common room of the Castle over a meeting of the Rural Deans, which I had convened in order to consider the financial situation of the diocese. They were all present together with the Archdeacons & Canon Goldsmith, Captain Carter, & Clayton also attended. We decided that the Bishop of Jarrow shd visit the Rural Deaneries, & expound the purpose & claim of the Diocesan Fund: that the Finance Board shd be requested to reduce its estimates: that the parochial quotas shd not be raised, but that the Rural Deans shd be requested to raise a voluntary addition to meet the enlarged expenditure: &, finally, that there should be such a re–casting of our financial system as wd bring the rural deaneries into a more direct relation with the diocesan Board. After the meeting I interviewed an Ordination candidate.