Vril, or Vital Magnetism

...most wonderful mechanism of the human organism, which is employed as the mechanism of the activities of Vril original: "Vril"; a term for a universal life force or vital energy.. In order to understand the activities of Vril, the student should have at least an elementary knowledge of the human nervous system. Accordingly, we invite you to a brief consideration of it.

The nervous system of the human being is divided into two great systems: namely, the cerebro-spinal system and the sympathetic system. The cerebro-spinal nervous system consists of that part of the general nervous system which is composed of the brain and the spinal cord, together with the nerves which emerge from the cord. Its functions are those connected with the processes of sensation, volition original: "volition"; the faculty or power of using one's will., and the higher processes of thought. It conveys to the brain the reports of the organs of feeling, seeing, smelling, hearing, and tasting. It manifests consciousness and its various phenomena. It attends to the functions of thought. It is the channel and mechanism of action. Through it, the individual receives knowledge of the outside world and communicates information back to the outside world. It has been compared to a telegraph system: the brain is the great central station, the spinal column is the cable running from the central office, and the nerves are the connecting telegraph wires running to the minor stations of the body.

The brain of man consists of three parts, known respectively as the medulla oblongata, the cerebellum, and the cerebrum. The medulla oblongata is situated at the upper end of the spinal cord and is an enlargement of its upper portion. It is a reflex center of a high order. It controls, to a certain extent, specific functions of the sympathetic nervous system, and therefore the activities of the heart, lungs, blood vessels, and the abdominal organs. Its activities are outside the ordinary field of consciousness and belong to those of the subconscious mind. The cerebellum, sometimes known as "the little brain," lies just above the medulla oblongata, and like it, is a reflex center of a high order. Its purpose is to coordinate the muscular movements of the body and to function along the lines of acquired reflexes.