Nothing can cure the soul but the senses, just as nothing can cure the senses but the soul.
– Oscar Wilde
The Picture of Dorian Gray, Chapter 2. Lord Henry is speaking to Dorian on sensorial experiences – this belief lies at the heart of Henry’s new hedonism. Just before this quote we read: "Lord Henry went out to the garden and found Dorian Gray burying his face in the great cool lilac-blossoms, feverishly drinking in their perfume as if it had been wine." Here Dorian is shown burying his head in lilac blossoms, drinking in their fragrance, suggesting that he is still someting of an innocent. But Henry sees this as a challenge to be overcome. The line about curing the soul with the senses foreshadows that Dorian will because of Henry’s influence abandon his innocence and embark on a life of sensual pleasure and vice with abandon.