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THE PRACTICAL PATH. seer, as the case may be, trains himself, by a long course of practising fasting, sacrificial worship, and the like, to enter into a sort of abnormal state in which the powers of his soul are manifested in a more or less marked degree. These are generally mistaken by men for a manifestation of divine favour, and all kinds of absurd and fanciful notions are founded upon them. The fact, however, is that the suspension of the functioning of the discriminative faculty puts the most predominant idea for the moment in possession of the mental field of the seer, so that his conversation is tinged with his personal prejudices and beliefs, notwithstanding the fact that he believes himself to be inspired by his deity. The following account of a Polynesian priest's inspiration may be read with advantage in this connection (see Science and Hebrew Tradition by T. H. Huxley, p. 324) :
“... a hog was killed and cooked over night, and, together with plantains, yams, and the materials for making the peculiar drink kava (of which the Tongans were very fond), was carrried the next day to the priest. A circle, as for an ordinary kava-drinking entertainment was then formed; but the priest, as the representative of the god, took the highest place, while the chief sat outside the circle, as an expression of humility calculated to please the god. "As soon as they are all seated the priest is considered as inspired, the god being supposed to exist within him from that moment. He remains for a considerable time in silence with his hands clasped before him, his eyes are cast down and he rests perfectly still. During the time the victuals are being shared out and the kava preparing, the matabooles sometimes begin to consult him ; sometimes he answers, and at other times not; in either case he remains with his eyes cast down. Frequently he will not utter a word till the repast is finished and the kuva too. When he speaks he generally begins in a low and very altered tone of voice, which gradually rises to nearly its natural pitch, though sometimes a little above it. All that he says
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