How To Put The Subconscious Mind To Work
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A suggestion is an intimation, hint, idea, thought or something similar, conveyed either through the physical senses--hearing, seeing, smelling, touching, tasting--or direct from mind to mind--that is, telepathically. An autosuggestion, of course, is a suggestion to one's self by one's self.

The suggestion of environment--that of Auto- suggestion is with most people frequently stronger than any other.

With most people, autosuggestion is clearly stronger than any other. It is a case "sez I to myself, sez I." It is a means by which we may treat ourselves. When we learn the art of Autosuggestion, we can almost perfectly control our own conditions. Everybody can at least to a certain degree influence himself for good. The faculty for developing and accepting autosuggestion, is readily cultivated. It is like everything else--Practice makes Perfect.

Those who fail in autosuggestion, fail partially or totally because they do not do the work well.

That is why we strongly urge those who do not make a success of autosuggestion to employ the services of some practitioner who will lend needed help to get the sub-conscious mind to do work the conscious desires.

It is not enough to give ourselves a passing thought now and then, just a little time snatched from other interests. It is the same as visualizing. It is the predominating thought which in the end prevails. Autosuggestion must be practiced regularly, with interest, fervor, and persistence.

If we expect to accomplish much by autosuggestion, we must give it our undivided attention at stated intervals and continue each effort for at least twenty minutes some authorities say, then longer, from thirty minutes to one hour each day in cases where the conditions require immediate and radical changes.

The length of time, however, will depend some- what upon individual temperament, the type of the subject.

"Where people thus earnestly engage to employ autosuggestion, and keep it up, persevere in it from day to day, from week to week, or even from month to month, they can absolutely over- come any adverse condition or habit where a cure is yet possible by any known means on earth.''

It is now generally accepted by academician psychologists that by autosuggestion we can make ourselves what we want to be. We can change our futures, our anatomy, our form and our appearance. We can relieve ourselves of pain, heal our diseases, and keep ourselves well. A great medical suggestionist tells us that

We can improve any or all of our mental faculties, cultivate ready memories, personal magnetism, and make ourselves brave and courageous; gain perfect control over our tastes, appetites and passions, and absolutely attain business and professional success in any direction that our tendencies lead us.

We only have to determine what we want to be, or what we want to do, then go at it in earnest, do the work regularly and continuously, and success is the reward of our efforts.

It is what we think we can do, and what we say to ourselves we can do that we can surely do.

Fremont said to himself, "I can find a path over the Rocky Mountains upon which a railroad can be built connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts." The path was found and the road was built.

Napoleon said to himself, "I can cross the Alps," and Napoleon did cross the Alps.

Now the behavior and successes of these great men should be living examples for us. They should serve as powerful suggestions, and when great responsibilities face us, or when seemingly difficult tasks are placed before us, we should say to ourselves, "I can and I will cross the Alps," and then undertake the work in hand with the same zeal and determination that characterized Napoleon's march, and pursue it persistently to the end, and success is absolutely assured at whatever we may undertake.

Autosuggestion is talking to ourselves, and when we are talking to ourselves, we are talking to our subconscious mind. By the regular and persistent practice of talking to ourselves, we can perform marvelous things in our health, success and happiness and in shaping our destinies.

We can work out our salvation by talking to ourselves. As we mentioned in the chapter upon the subconscious mind, it is the omniscient and the omnipotent part of man. It works out our life's problems in such a marvelous way that, were we not intelligent and did we not understand what takes place, we should simply say that it transcends rational explanation.

The failure is converted into success, by autosuggestion. The sick are made well. The discouraged become buoyant and optimistic. The downcast and downhearted become hopeful and faithful. By autosuggestion he who has lost his grip again gets a hold on life and does more than he ever dreamed he could. The wonders of the power of autosuggestion have not yet half been told.

We can successfully promote great financial enterprises, forward banking, mining, railroad or other important interests, and as someone has said "organize benevolent, temperance, religious, and political associations, establish institutions of learning, and exploit profitable, legitimate enterprises of any kind--do anything that lies within the bounds of human possibility, all by simply holding to the thought, and persistently saying to ourselves, I can and I will!' "

And no matter where the stars may place us. That should not disturb us. While astrology is founded upon truth, and while the planets have their influence, it is more for good than bad, and we need not suffer from every chilly wind that blows. No, no; we can properly clothe ourselves, absolutely fortify ourselves against all unfriendly stellar influences, push all obstacles out of the way, and attain success in life, either in harmony with, or regardless of the stars. I say to myself, "I can," and I say to myself "I can and I will," and it is done and I am free--independent.

There is another side to autosuggestion, the negative or destructive.

In "Suggestion" the author takes up this side of autosuggestion.

But there is another side to auto-suggestion. While it may be used for good in many ways, and while its possibilities are almost unlimited for accomplishing good and great results, we may so persistently keep our minds upon one subject, and talk to ourselves about some one particular thing to such a degree of excess, that we become mono- maniacs--insane. Or we may indulge in adverse or unfriendly thoughts about ourselves and talk to ourselves about trifling infirmities, till we are worn out and really sick, incapacitated for anything. And if we go on in this way, we may break ourselves down, and actually die prematurely.

We may, by persistently talking to ourselves and our neighbors about our ailments, which at the first may be very simple, change innocent troubles to serious diseases. From the slightest symptoms, we may fix our minds upon what we fear it is going to be, and may so persistently think and talk to ourselves about it, picture in our minds the most serious conditions imaginable, till the dreaded disease is certainly materialized. In this way unfriendly auto-suggestion leads thousands of people to untimely graves. It is readily seen that in this way people may actually think and talk themselves to death.

People sometimes bring upon themselves sudden disaster by adverse or unfriendly auto-suggestions.

Playing with his friendly dog, a man is slightly bitten, merely scratched by the dog's tooth, but he is frightened, fears hydrophobia, begins to talk about it, pictures in his mind all of the horrors of one suffering from hydrophobia, will not be comforted, but continues to talk to himself about hydrophobia, and he persistently keeps the picture of hydrophobia before him till he actually has fits. The thoughts of hydrophobia, mind pictures continuously kept before the eyes, are finally materialized.

People occasionally kill themselves outright by autosuggestion. In fact we believe there are many cases of this kind if we only knew of them.

On April 1st, 1898, at eight o'clock p. m., I was called in haste to 4362 M. avenue, St. Louis. Upon my arrival I found that I was at a church. When I entered the door I saw that the congregation was in great confusion, many of the people surrounding the platform, just in front of the pulpit, while others were moving about promiscuously. I pushed my way forward, and when I reached the platform, I found lying upon it one of my old friends and patrons, 0. J. C, and upon a careful examination I pronounced him to be dead.

Mr. C. had been a member of a church organization denominated "The Four Fold Gospel Workers," who believe in the word of God (the Bible) in its entirety. Mr. C. had been a leader in this church, and was engaged in conducting the services of the evening at the time the following sad event occurred.

Mr. C. was a very devotional, earnest kind of a man, honest and faithful in every regard, and believed in the literal interpretation of the Scriptures. He had opened the services by requesting the audience to join him in singing the following verses:

One sweetly solemn thought

Comes to me o'er and o'er,

I'm nearer my home today, today,

Than I have been before.

Chorus.--Nearer my home, nearer my home,

Nearer my home today, today,

Than I have been before.

Nearer my Father's house,

Where many mansions be,

Nearer the great white throne today,

Nearer the crystal sea.

Chorus.--Nearer my home, nearer my home.

Nearer my home today, today,

Than I have been before.

After the singing of the above lines he quoted the following passages of scripture:

"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear." I Peter, chap. 3, verse 15.

1. "Hear ye, children, the instruction of a Father, and attend to know understanding."

2. "For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law."

3. "For I was my Father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother."

4. "He taught me also, and said unto me, let thine heart retain my words; keep my commandments, and live." Prov. 4th.

Here Mr. C. stopped reading to comment upon the "life" referred to in the closing words of the last line of the reading. During this comment he touchingly referred to the death of his son, who had died some years previous. He described how the son had embraced him in his dying moments, and how he looked up into his face with such an expression of dependence and trust that none but a confiding child can imitate, and with his last breath exclaimed, "O, papa! O, papa, give me life, give me life!"

When Mr. C. had finished this narrative he, himself, while standing on the platform, in front of the pulpit, turned his eyes toward heaven, and exclaimed, "Give me life, give me life!" Just as he pronounced the words "give me life," the second time, he suddenly fell forward upon the platform, dead!

The song, the reading, the story of the dying boy, the powerful suggestions of a life beyond, the vivid idea of a literal home in heaven, as Mr. C. honestly understood it, his gaze fixed upon some particular heavenly apartment, possibly his son occupying a place in it, all taken together, were more than his mortal frame could bear. The power of thought--autosuggestion--separated his soul and body, and he was dead. Had he remained quietly at home on that eventful evening, he might have been living to this day, for he had not been ailing in any way--was not sick.

We had Mr. C.'s body well protected till we were quite certain that he was really dead. We did not permit any preparations of the body for burial till we were absolutely certain that life was extinct, lest somebody might say that Mr. C. was only in a trance.

But it is the friendly side of autosuggestion that interests us most, and one of the very best methods of using it is as follows:

No matter what we may need, let us carefully write out our wants in detail, covering everything that may be desirable for us to enjoy, and then fold the paper, put it in an envelope, and place it under our pillow every night.

All the night-time, while we are sound asleep, the thoughts, the suggestions, the prayers, as written upon the paper, are resting with our subconscious soul minds, and the results are always good. I’ll say this is a good method of using autosuggestion, but it need not be used to the exclusion of the usual method of talking to ourselves at stated times--treating ourselves by autosuggestion.

Again, let us impress it upon the reader that auto-suggestion, to make it more perfectly successful, should be practiced regularly, at certain hours, and kept up persistently to the end--till we get what we want, never limiting ourselves to any time for attaining success.

Right here we would warn people against the habit of treating themselves all day long, constantly keeping their ailments or urgent wants before them. This is all wrong. We should have stated times for this work, and then do it and do it well, and then drop it and turn our attention away from ourselves, engage our minds in the social affairs or business matters of life, and go wherever duty calls us. At no time should we stop and regularly treat ourselves for anything during the busy business hours of the day, but we should wait till the proper time arranged for our treatment, and then devote ourselves wholly to the work. This need not hinder us, however, from being ever on the alert, by day and by night, to stoutly resist evil temptations that may come in our way, by quickly turning them aside and going on. It is the habit of constantly holding our frailties, ailments, or needs before us that we should strenuously avoid.

As stated elsewhere, we can, by autosuggestion, make of ourselves what we want to be. If we aspire to be lawyers, ministers, musicians, artists, politicians, statesmen, builders, mechanics, teachers, bankers, or financiers of any kind, we need only to prepare ourselves by acquiring the necessary education for the particular profession selected, and then daily look forward and see ourselves occupying the place or position desired, let nothing disturb or discourage us, or lead us off on by-ways, persistently move forward in straight lines, always and ever affirming and saying to ourselves, "I can cross the Alps," and "I will cross the Alps!"

In this way we may become eminent and useful at anything we undertake, and attain to any degree of success within the reach of human achievement.

It should be well remembered that in treating ourselves by auto-suggestion, we should always suggest what we want; and in talking to ourselves, as in making oral suggestions to others, we should express our wants in the simplest, plainest language at our command. No particular set formulas are required. A simple, earnest statement of our wants or needs is all sufficient for success.

Auto-suggestion is not alone useful where people depend upon it altogether, but we can turn it to good account in having people use it while we are treating them by personal or absent treatment.

Some people seem to lack confidence in their own efforts, especially when not encouraged or supported by outside help. In fact, nearly everybody can help others by suggestion more than they can help themselves by autosuggestion. This should not be so; and it is not true in any case where the patient has full confidence in his own efforts, and regularly, earnestly and persistently does the work.

Hugo Munsterberg, in "Psycho-Therapy" gives an interesting case in autosuggestion.

The writer is a young woman of twenty-four, whom I did not know personally. She wrote to me as follows: "I am a writer by profession and during the last year and a half have been connected with a leading magazine. In my work I was constantly associated with one man, the man- aging editor. This man exerted a very peculiar influence over me. With everyone else connected with the magazine, I was my natural self and at ease, but the minute this man came into the room I became an entirely different person, timid, nervous, and awkward, always placing myself and my work in a bad light. But under this man's influence, I did a great deal of literary work, my own and his, too. I felt that he willed me to do it. The effect of this influence was that I suffered constantly from deep fits of depression almost amounting to melancholia.

This lasted until last fall, when I felt that I should lose my mind if I stayed under his influence any longer. So I resigned my position and broke away. Then I felt like a person who, having a drug to stimulate him to do a certain amount of work, has that drug suddenly taken away, and without it I am unable to write at all ..." I wrote to the young lady that she could cure herself without hypnotism and without my personal participation. I urged her simply to speak to herself early in the morning and especially in the evening before going to sleep, and to say to herself that the man had never helped her at her work, but that she did it entirely of her own power, and that he never had any influence on it, and that she can write splendidly since she has left the place, and much better than before.

A few months later she came to Cam- bridge and thanked me for the complete success which the auto-suggestive treatment had secured. She was completely herself again and was fully successful in filling a literary position in which she had to write the editorials, the book reviews, the dramatic criticisms, and the social news. As a matter of course, such treatment had removed only the symptom. The over-suggestible constitution had not been and could not be changed. Thus it was not surprising that in the meantime, while her full literary strength had come back, she had developed some entirely different symptoms of bodily character which I had to remove by hypnotism.

Win. M. Brown, M. D., in "Suggestion and Mental Analysis" gives the point of view of a physician who has made a study of autosuggestion, namely:

An impression may be obtained from some writings that the longer the periods during which auto-suggestion is practiced, the better the effect. It is, however, much better in using auto-suggestion to get the state of mind for a very short time, for a minute or less, and not to attempt to keep this frame of mind for a longer time. The reason for this is that a short interval of time suffices to secure the state of mind, to establish contact with the subconscious and to implant the idea of the desired end.

The subconscious then, without further assistance from consciousness, goes on to realize the idea at its own leisure. In this way you take advantage of a normal suggestibility and are free from any danger. But if you try to prolong the state for several minutes, you run the risk of your own patients who suffer from depression have themselves told me that, although the suggestion may seem to work when they get treatment from me, when they seek to suggest to themselves, all the time a small voice is negating the idea they are striving to implant. This opposition is sometimes of more effect than the auto-suggestion, and the patient be- comes worse rather than better. In such circumstances, if you shorten the time spent in auto-suggestion, you secure a better result.

The Academicians, and Psychologists are not alone in asserting that the mind can do anything it wills to do. We who are teaching the practical side of Psychology have demonstrated that we can disregard all kinds of environmental and hereditary handicaps. The mental deficient be- comes a genius, the unsuccessful, successful, the poverty-stricken, prosperous--all by the law of autosuggestion.

Lillian Whiting has put in poetical terms this same aspect of the power of autosuggestion.

Every morning one holds in his own hands the power to rise to newness of life and to shape conditions. The law by which this is done is as definite and as inevitable as the law of gravity. It is now time for the Newton of the spiritual world to arise and announce the Principles by which the Soul may formulate its conditions.

"Learn to trust yourself and use the powers you have. Say, 'I can and I will.' Do not say, 'I will try, but I know I will fail.' "

In making autosuggestions to yourself, the same as in suggestions to others, make your affirmation strong and complete rather than with an interrogation point after it, for this means doubt, and doubt and confusion will be the result.

Every affirmation or autosuggestion which is taken in an insincere way or chock full of doubt, takes a much longer time to effect results. In fact, the result may be negative, for the subconscious mind is quick in scenting uncertainty and doubt in oneself or another and if we were to continue talking to ourselves in a doubtful, insincere manner, the subconscious mind might take up the insincerity and the doubtful side of the affirming, rather than that which we really desire, the positive.

So, in our self-suggestion, one must, for best results, first be sincere; second, no doubting; third, in a spirit of conviction; and fourth, back it up by faith in what you are trying to demonstrate.

The surroundings for autosuggestion should be identical with those for suggestion, and healing (as outlined in the foregoing and following chapters)--an undisturbed hour, and a quiet spot with cheerful surroundings and everything that will place the mind at rest, poised and serene. Some find the early morning hour best, others the evening hour, some at high noon, and others in the middle of the afternoon.

But the most successful time--that is when the subconscious mind is the easiest reached by autosuggestion, the same as suggestion, is just upon retiring or just before dropping off to sleep at night, and as one awakes in the morning.

Of course, there are various degrees of receptivity in different individuals at different times.

As there are exceptions to all rules, there may be exceptions to the time to practice autosuggestion, just as some take suggestion quickly and receive immediate results, while others are less susceptible to suggestion and benefits delayed.

Certain habits of thought and action make one more or less amenable to autosuggestion as well as to hetero-suggestion--more than one suggesting to another.

Whatever place or quiet hour one has selected, he should assume an attitude of ease and relaxation. The best posture, ordinarily, is to sit In an easy chair, or recline in a morris chair or on a couch or bed. To get the best results, the same hour should be observed each day and kept for silence and autosuggestion.

By using the same chair or couch in the same surroundings, one builds up an "atmosphere" which is most beneficial, and wherever it is possible this program should regularly be followed.

Some say that one should not go to sleep while giving oneself autosuggestion, but I am convinced that if the body is tired and needs rest there could be no better way to drop off to sleep than by talking to oneself for that which he desires. I should not be understood, however, as saying that when one is tired or weary, autosuggestion gets in its best licks. No, when one is fresh and rested, filled with vigor, strength, is by all means the best time. But, should one feel weary, do not hesitate to drop off to sleep.

We are often asked how we should talk to ourselves, to which we always reply: Talk to the subconscious mind as you would to a person. Sometimes "boss" it, command it, compel it to do what you desire it to do.

One author says:

The more energy and intense earnestness you put into suggestion the better. At times you can profitably shout your affirmations and intensely will that they shall be obeyed.

More than one man has broken up severe attacks of disease by this method: even swearing has changed mental and physical conditions. We do not advocate this last suggestion, but only use it as an illustration to show what intense feeling can do.

It follows that suggestion is of practical value to man in exact proportion to the uses which he makes of it. That is to say, he may make it a blessing or a curse, according to the uses for which it is employed. But use it he must, for it pervades the mental atmosphere as the sunlight of heaven pervades the solar system. He cannot escape it, for it is one of nature's all-pervasive forces and knows no variableness nor shadow of turning. Like every other law of nature, it is primarily for the highest benefit of man- kind; but, like every other beneficent energy, it may destroy him if, either through ignorance or perversity, he fails to place himself in harmony with it.

There is another phase to autosuggestion, namely action. Upon this point, C. Franklin Leavitt, M.D., the eminent international Psychoanalyst, throws much practical light.

ACTION is, in fact, the most powerful autosuggestion of all. It is a sort of double-barreled suggestion. First comes the suggestion of the thought, then the suggestion of acting out the thought. ACTION is also tremendously important because of the fact that it brings a person's powers into exercise. And it is by USE of one's powers, as we all know, that one develops more power.

So make yourself act positive, confident, optimistic, serene and kindly, even though at first you may have to do this in a perfectly mechanical way; even though you may have no feeling about it whatever, even though you may have to go against feeling. When you feel like weeping, SMILE! When you feel like cringing, act BOLD! When you feel all of a turmoil, act CALM!

Of course a spontaneous smile--smiling because you feel like it--is more effective than a forced smile would be. Feeling always carries a lot of power along with it. But forced cheerfulness makes a real impression, too. It cannot fail to. In fact, if a certain mode of action is persisted in, the feelings to correspond will arrive of themselves in time. FEELINGS ARE BORN OF THOUGHTS AND ACTIONS.

If your thoughts should happen to change, your feelings would swing right along behind them, like Mary's little lamb behind Mary. You know it.

So if you want to change those feelings of worry, depression, unrest, resentment, etc., to feelings of poise, happiness, peace, confidence and love, stop acting the way you FEEL and get busy acting the way you would like to feel. You'll find it will work. In his little essay entitled "The Gospel of Relaxation," our friend Mr. James has something most significant to say on this very matter:

"There is ... no better known nor more generally useful precept in ... one's personal self-discipline, than that which bids us pay primary attention to what we DO and EXPRESS, and not to care too much for what we FEEL. If we only don't strike the blow or rip out with the complaining or insulting . . . our feelings themselves will presently be the calmer and better with no particular guidance from us on their own account . . . By regulating the action, we can regulate the feeling. To wrestle with a bad feeling only pins our attention on it and keeps it still fastened in the mind; whereas, if we act as if from some better feeling, the old bad feeling soon "folds its tent, like an Arab, and silently steals away."

Of course it is not one bit easy to act cheerful and calm and courageous when you feel perturbed and fearful and miserable. In fact, it is a very, very hard thing to do, for you will come up against a solid wall of resistance in the form of old, negative habits.

Your biggest fight, as you strive to develop your best self, will be just this--the fight with FEELING. FEELING is very powerful. The difference between it and THOUGHT would be hard to define, but let us have a try at it.

You can think that a certain scene is beautiful, but remain entirely untouched by it. Another day that same scene may move you to tears--it will make you feel something.

You may think that a man is cruel, in a perfectly impersonal way, just as you think it may rain or clear. Or you may feel it, and be impelled to murder.

FEELING, we may say, is THOUGHT warmed to white heat. FEELING gets you--it stirs you up and urges you powerfully toward action. It is very powerful, for either good or evil. Get the right feeling back of you and it will push you where you want to go, almost in spite of yourself. On the other hand, get the wrong feeling behind you, and you will be impelled irresistibly to ruin--unless your reason, your judgment and your will have been so trained that they can take charge of the situation. When feeling is on top you have a fight on your hands which will call out all of your reserves, I assure you. It will give you "a run for your money" every time.

We are all dominated by our feelings far more than we realize. The most that the best of us have done is to have achieved a certain outward control over such manifestations of feeling as temper, petulance, ugliness, impatience, etc. But how about such feelings as worry, tenseness, self-consciousness, pessimism, jealousy, intolerance, resentment, apprehension, etc.

Try to conquer all these in yourself; go at the thing in earnest and see what you are up against. FEELING leads you most authoritatively in the line of least resistance. We tend to do what we have been in the habit of doing. Did I say "Tend'"? We are driven that way inexorably, and are certain so to act--unless we take matters into our own hands and firmly DETERMINE that we will not give way to FEELING.

You most be prepared for a siege. Besides being very powerful, FEELING is insidious in her attacks, crafty, deceptive and tremendously resourceful. She will con- found your reason, paralyze your judgment and will distort your mental vision and influence you to act the way she wants you to in spite of yourself. And the worst of it is, she will do this to you over and over, for she is capable of going at the thing in a different way every time and will get you off your guard more than once. Be on the watch. Furnish yourself in advance with the strongest possible resolution that no matter what comes, you will act the way you have decided to act, and not the way you feel like acting. Even with this resolution you will have many a fall, for you will be deceived, over- persuaded and over-powered.

But after awhile you will get to know your assailant a little better and will thus be able to put up a better fight. You won't go down so easily, you'll get up more quickly. In time even a sudden attack, no matter how violent, will not be able to take you unawares, for you will have formed the habit of ruling your actions with your reason, your judgment and your will and these will leap to your rescue. Eventually you will get so you can look feeling in the face and say, "I am no longer in your power, but you in MINE!" And you will have one of the biggest victories--perhaps the biggest!-- a man can win. All the great teachers, throughout the ages, have taught that if a man desires to master environment, conditions, persons, circumstances, DESTINY—he must first of all master HIMSELF!

In all autosuggestion, one must be sure that the same spirit of faith prevails as in other suggestion. In Mark 11:24, the great Teacher enjoins upon his disciples: "Therefore I say unto you, all things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye have received them and ye shall have them."

It is a truism of applied psychology that the results you achieve following conscious effort will be commensurate with the real desire of your heart. Desire grows with hope. Autosuggestions of hope can be made, which will increase hope and desire in the conscious, as well as in the subconscious mind.

One should give his whole attention to autosuggestion at the time of talking to oneself. In other words, whatever you do, do with all your might. Solomon says, "The desire of the righteous shall be granted"; righteous here, being employed in the sense of earnestly seeking the truth. Bear in mind that which you demand. Keep your attention fixed on your autosuggestion. The more the mind is held in attention to the thought at hand, the quicker may one expect results. Then, after holding the mind at attention, taking the affirmation with firmness and confidence--forget it—let go--don't try to think of it anymore . Herein is the secret of autosuggestion. It is the touchstone of success or failure.

Many persons try to keep talking to themselves all day long and it cannot be done. They wear themselves out mentally and physically. They keep on repeating the same thing in such a fatigued, half-hearted manner, that their affirming acts as a counter suggestion to the subconscious mind. That is, the subconscious becomes befogged and bemuddled. It does not know which suggestion to take, that contained in the formal words which the patient is uttering, or the fatigued, worn-out mental attitude in which he is affirming.

Do not allow others to undermine your faith in yourself, in God, and in the law of suggestion. Do not let others switch you from your main purpose, which should be to use autosuggestion for health, your greater success and your complete happiness. Do not permit, much less encourage, others to talk to you in a negative way. For the more you entertain the negative, discouraged, down-in-the-mouth thoughts of opposition which people may try to shoot into you, the harder it will be for you to continue in your work of self-help.

For instance, a youngster bumps his head and runs crying to his mother. She boo-hoos over him and says, "O, my dear, isn't it awful to have such a bump! Oh, my poor li'l tootsie wootsie." The more she tootsie wootsies him, the more the little tootsie wootsie cries--the trouble at hand is aggravated.

But suppose the youngster bumps his head even harder and runs to a psychological mother. She, instead of bemoaning the awful crack her scion received, kisses the sore spot with the suggestion that it is all right, "just a little bump, it won't hurt much, gone already, run along and play." The youngster tears out of the house, his crying turned to laughter, his tears diamonds sparkling in the sunshine.

Remember, we become like that which we think. Think therefore only of those things which you desire and which you want, and do not entertain opposite thoughts from anybody.

Remember to carry out the analogy of our illustration in every experience of life from childhood to adulthood. Suppose one is afflicted with suffering. The more you talk about it, and the more you allow other anti-cheerfuls to "tootsie wootsie" you, the worse your pain will become. If you should be surrounded by such unpsychological humans, seek a quiet place and there strive to be peaceful, calm and at rest in Infinite Love. Assert, I feel well and happy; all of the organs of my body are functioning normally; I am strong, harmonious and well. Do this without ceasing, and you will swing yourself into a peaceful mental attitude which will soon have its effect upon your nervous system and physical being.

Should things go wrong, and your sky-line of experience become cloudy and life irksome and monotonous, the more you talk about monotone and tiredness and awful experiences of life, the more keenly will you feel what you are passing through and the more you allow others to talk about it, the worse you will become. Get away from them unless they can talk in terms of positive, comforting, and encouraging philosophy. Get away from them. Find a quiet place to repose. Lie down--flat on your back without a pillow. Stretch the arms out horizontally from the body. Take a few deep breaths and then talk to yourself something like this:

The riches of the Spirit now fill my mind and affairs, and I am prosperous always. I think only of prosperity; I talk only of prosperity; any I know that success is mine.

Infinite Supply meets all my needs. Abundance, prosperity, plenty, and opulence are mine now, to have and to enjoy.

There is abundance in the world for me, given by the bountiful hand of Omnipotence I gratefully claim and accept the supply for all my needs.

God is supplying all my needs from his illimitable riches

I am one with the infinite Source of all the wealth in the universe, and that wealth is flowing through me now and meeting my every need fully and completely

I am the all-wise, all-loving, all-conquering son of God.

I rule supreme in all the affairs of mind and body. Infinite Wisdom guides me. divine Power prospers me; I am successful in all that I undertake.

I rise above my circumstances. I rise above all handicaps, all hindrances, all conditions. I rise above my environment, and I control my life. I am success, and I have success.

I WILL: there is nothing impossible to me.

I am the captain of my soul; I am the master of my fate.

The power within me surmounts all obstacles.

I am unconquerable. I am achieving my desires; I am the captain of my soul and master of my fate.

The Spirit of good goes before me, making easy, healthy, happy, prosperous and harmonious all my ways.

I meet all the conditions of my life, and I know that I am using them all to my good.

Spirit is spurring me to action and I am going swiftly forward. I have the strength and the courage of a real man, and I am not being kept down. I am strong, successful, and happy.

You have all noticed that a hypnotist, returning every year to your town, to give the public a huge laugh at the pranks his "subjects" play, always makes use of certain old "subjects." The reason of this is that they are trained, not to sham, but their subjective minds are trained to respond with promptness to almost any suggestions the operator may make. It is usually easier to produce a physiological effect upon a trained hypnotic subject than upon another person; not because the trained subject has greater powers, for he has not, but because his subjective mind has been trained to obey and put into operation the suggestions and instructions given to it.

I should rather consider, from all evidence that I can find, that the hypnotized subject has no greater power over his own organism than another, but that his mind obeys suggestions--either from another or from himself --with greater promptness and attention to the work to be performed. That which can be done through hypnotism can likewise be done without hypnotism. It is subjective training that counts in these matters, not special states.

Train the subjective mind, through auto-suggestion, to become an obedient servant--one that will give its attention to work and duties committed to it. It has powers beyond our most sanguine belief. It has knowledge concerning the mysteries of the cells and organs of which we know objectively so little. Trust it, then. Give it large tasks to perform, and give it inspiration and encouragement through auto-suggestion. Guard the mind against adverse thoughts, which, remember, become adverse suggestions.

One suffering from a chronic ailment and habitually thinking of the hopelessness of his ill, saying to self and others, "I fear I will never get well," is like a man searching for a lost article in the night, and continually turning his back to the shining moon, and thus casting a shadow upon the part of the ground he is searching. He not only denies himself the light of the moon, but darkens the place of search. The sufferer not only denies himself the aid of his subjective mind, but turns it against himself in all its awful power to deplete and destroy.

But some one says to me, "I can't help but be discouraged and apprehensive, my mind will dwell upon my ailment. My ailment is present with me to remind me of it." Such a person has allowed the bodily condition to train the mind into thought habits concerning the bodily conditions. The mind thus trained reacts upon the ailing part with harm.

Contrast this condition with the chances of an organ where the habit of the mind has become one of cheer and hope, and the auto-suggestion, "I can get well,--I will get well,--I am growing better and better. I have the power to surmount this difficulty. I will, I will," have become a part of one. Added to these auto-suggestions should be the principles of love, which I will speak of in a chapter later in this work.

If your habit of mind is gloom, fear, worry, apprehension, remember that you have fallen into a bad habit, and must reverse the condition by making a new habit.

It is your privilege, on the whole, to govern the general course of your thoughts. It is true that the mind is influenced by conditions, but we must not acknowledge ourselves automatons, without power to arise above conditions or steer our course to miss the reefs ahead.

There is no royal road to success in autosuggestion. All that any practical psychologist can do is to send out a warning to all those who are about to travel this wonderful, marvelous pathway of life. Many fall by the wayside because they fail to struggle on. They give up just too soon. Many become foot-sore and soul-weary, in traversing this straight and narrow path of life because they fail to pay the price in thorough vigilance and persistency. In autosuggestion beware of slothfulness.

And, just as there comes a time in the experience of everyone, when the line between success and failure is so thin you cannot tell where one leaves off or the other begins, so in autosuggestion and suggestion a very faint line divides success from failure.

Everyone should fortify himself against early surrender. He should know what to expect. The critical hour may arrive any moment when one thinks that there is nothing to autosuggestion, when he argues that although he has been talking to himself for some time no results are apparent. When he becomes discouraged and ready to quit, that is the very time to hang on. When you think you are going to give up--don't do it. Stick 'er out. Pass the crisis and success is yours.

The longer the subconscious mind is trained to serve the will and the oftener it is exercised, the more readily will it respond and the more effective the results. This is not unlike training the body for the performance of physical feats. The pianist must keep in training and practice to retain his skill and dexterity.

"Such subjective education inspires a feeling of confidence in one's own powers. Fear and apprehension find less room for growth. One will pass through an epidemic in greater safety and with less harm to himself. You can't afford to live in fear or anxiety. Strengthen the inner man. Put it on its guard and about its business to maintain bodily health and moral purity."

In "Mind Power and Privileges" by Albert B. Olston, the reader will find much food for thought along the lines of autosuggestion.

When we remember that every thought in the objective mind is an auto-suggestion, and in some way affects the subjective mind, and recall the powers of the subjective mind over organs and over the very cells of our body, the question of what we shall and shall not think becomes one which deserves our highest consideration and greatest enthusiasm.

The greatest obstacle in the way of auto-suggestion to heal and cure lies in the objective and subjective ideas that it "can't be done," "I don't believe it." I must again insist upon the importance of the active reiteration of suggestion, and the withdrawal of any open criticism of progressive judgment on the matter. Give the auto-suggestion a chance to instruct and educate the subjective mind by withholding any adverse suggestions in the way of adverse or doubtful thoughts. Rather say to yourself, "It will be done.1'

One well-authenticated case is recorded by Mr. F. W. H. Myers of an experiment in which two patches of skin, alike in size and shape, were removed from the arm of a subject in the hypnotic sleep. The suggestion was made that the one wound would heal rapidly, and give no pain or soreness; while the other would become sore and painful, and cause, on the whole, a bad sore. The one healed more rapidly than usual, while the other place did as was suggested. To one wound was given the assistance of the subjective mind with its mysterious powers, and the metabolism of the cells was increased by its influence. A healthy tone was imparted to that region. To the other part was given the morbid effect of the subjective mind. Instead of it building a healthy tissue it destroyed and made sick the part. That, no doubt, could have been carried to the point of great harm to the arm.

Who can measure the effects and destructions of morbid thoughts habitually carried on? To the subjective mind of the person upon whom the two patches of skin were removed, a destroying suggestion was given concerning the one part, while concerning the other, suggestions of growth and health were made.

How different the processes of the two wounds! But some one will say, "That was done under hypnotism." So it was, and we will also grant that the person was especially susceptible to suggestion. It must, however, be borne in mind that the suggestions were made to him on one occasion, merely repeating them a few times so as to fix them upon the mind. In the case of a chronic disease the destroying and doubting auto-suggestion is made hundreds and thousands of times. It is repeated and repeated. The morbid, discouraging thought is often almost continuous. This often is carried to the extent that the person somehow seems to take a delight in recounting his suffering to every other person he sees.

He is the worse off for each such conversation. It all amounts to the education of the subjective mind, which comes to believe that the suffering must be; and under such premises it usually takes place. At least the body in its tendency to mend has a formidable barrier to crowd out and fight against. It is this thing that so often baffles the skill of physician and nurse. The effects of discouragement, fear, and morbid thoughts upon the organs and functions of the body differ quite widely in different people. Some suffer harm directly and do not seem to be able to escape the ravages; while others seem to have a more natural independence of the body, and less sensitive to the moods of the mind.

Every one has noticed that people suffer differently from the same degree of harm. This is due to several things. Chiefly among others is the degree of attention given, and the matter of determination not to suffer. Determination, exercised habitually by the objective mind, finally develops its character in the subjective mind, which produces its effect in any crisis, even though the objective mind be otherwise employed. If one wishes to exercise the sense of touch upon something which requires a delicate touch, he will give it an undivided attention. Some people hold the same attitude toward their bodily ills. Instead of diverting the mind from the diseased part, they fix upon it such an attention as to increase the suffering, and, as we have come to know, to do harm by the thoughts of apprehension.

As an instance of how autosuggestion can do most anything, we quote in full, as an example, Geraud Bonnet's prescription for the cure of stage fright:

Let us suppose that, on some approaching day, you have to sing at a private party or on a public platform.

You have a good voice, and you are quite familiar with what you have to sing; you know that the audience will be friendly, and that success awaits you.

But you are panic-stricken; you feel certain that when the time comes you will be seized with stage fright.

You are sure that you will be terrified by all the eyes that will be concentrated on you when you appear on the platform; you will become uneasy, will sing wrong notes, and will finally break down.

This is an involuntary autosuggestion, which has taken possession of your mind.

You can combat it by a voluntary autosuggestion.

Isolate yourself in a room where no one will come to disturb you. To make assurance doubly sure, lock the door. Settle yourself comfortably in an armchair; or lie down, if you prefer it, on a sofa or on your bed. Close the eyes; and if you are afraid of being disturbed by some noise from outside the room, plug the ears with cotton-wool.

Relax your body to the utmost, for this physical inertia favors mental passivity, and renders the mind more accessible to suggestion. When your nervous energy is no longer dissipated in making movements or in other work, it will be concentrated in the brain, and you will be better able to devote it to the idea you wish to realize.

At the outset, endeavor to stop thinking altogether. Try to think of nothing at all for a time. Then direct your thoughts towards the idea which is worrying you, and counteract it by its converse, saying to yourself "I don't suffer from stage fright; I sing well; I am perfectly easy in my mind."

Take a deep breath. Wait for a moment, and then say once more: "I don't suffer from stage fright; I sing well; I am perfectly easy in my mind."

Repeat the process several times; repeat it five times, ten times, or more, according to the amount of leisure at your disposal.

Have a number of such "sittings" every day--in bed, at night, just before you go to sleep; during the night, if you happen to be awake; in the morning before you get up, immediately after waking.

If you carry out this plan with assurance and conviction, success is certain.

Dr. Schofield says:

I think from such cases as these, and the fact that the hypnotic state is generally produced through the eyes, that there is a closer connection of the mind with sight than with the other senses--or in other words, what has been considered the worst affliction to man, and the most difficult to heal, is so intimately allied with the power of mind that blindness becomes one of the easiest afflictions to heal.

I might add that in my own classes I have found about the easiest of anything to heal is deafness --deafness of long standing--deafness of twenty to forty years--deafness where the ears have pronounced punctured ear drums--no ear drums-- ear drums destroyed, people who never did have ear drums--according to specialists' diagnosis.

In nearly every psychological campaign which the author conducts and in all classes following these campaigns, people have sight restored. In a recent campaign three people, blind, received their sight. One woman who was totally blind in her right eye had instantaneous healing. Another man, twenty-five years of age, who had been born blind in one eye, who had seen many specialists, a number of whom had recommended that the eye having no life at all, should be removed, during one of our "silences" felt vibrations in the eye with such a force that when he opened his eyes, he was surprised to see not only an effulgence of light, but he was able to see me on the platform some forty feet away--the first time he had ever seen any object of any kind out of that eye since birth.

Another a brick mason by trade, had met with an accident. In breaking a brick to fit in construction, a piece struck him in the right eye, causing instant blindness. Two and a half years following this he had sun stroke, which caused the other eye to go dead. He went to five specialists, they said, they had done the most they could do, and the best they could do and to no avail. A number had pronounced him absolutely blind forever-- hopeless. When I opened my campaign he was being led about the streets of his native city by the hands of a boy--his son. In less than two weeks he was able to get around the city without any help, his eyesight gradually becoming better and better.

It's a most interesting commentary upon the mistakes which even celebrated specialists can make when it is related that this man, after having had his sight restored, went back to visit one of the old specialists who was so obsessed evidently with something else than healing, examined the man's eyes and said they were no better and yet he was seeing. There is one red signal sign of danger which I should like to imprint on every page of this book namely, don't believe every- thing you read in the "item," only about one-half you see and very little that you hear if it's negative or destructive.

A famous medical authority gives the following illustrations:

At the siege of Breda, in 1625, the whole garrison was down with scurvy. The Prince of Orange smuggled into the town three small phials of essence of camphor, and his physician put three or four drops into a gallon of water, and the men recovered and saved the town.

As to this, we may remark that it is a matter for curious conjecture as to how far generally the cure we now attribute to drugs will soon be considered to be due to psychism.

Sir Humphrey Davy, wishing to experiment with some new preparation on a paralyzed 'patient, put first a thermometer under his tongue. The man, believing that this was the new comedy, soon felt so much better that Sir Humphrey told him to come the next day, and in a few days, with the thermometer applied for a few minutes each day, he was well.

Dr. Eanierie Gerbe, of Pisa, cured 401 out of 629 cases of toothache, by making the sufferers crush a small insect between their fingers, that he represented was an unfailing specific.

An amusing case is that of a paralyzed girl, who, on learning that she had secured the affections of the curate, who used to visit her, got out of bed and walked--cured: and afterwards made an excellent pastor's wife.

And, on the other hand, we give an illustration as to the curative effect.

Pertaining to the curative effect of the patient's own conscious suggestion to the unconscious mind, and through it on the body, in "The Life of Father Chiniquy" we read:

In 1837, Pastor Chiniqin got severe typhoid fever in Canada, and four physicians told his bishop there was no hope of his recovery. On the thirteenth day they said he had only a few minutes to live, and his pulse could not be felt. He then in a vision saw his favorite saint, St. Anne, to whom he cried for cure with every power of his soul, and he heard her say, "You will be cured." He recovered, and Quebec rang with the miracle. He was examined by two Catholic and two Protestant doctors.

Dr. Douglas, a Protestant, showed Chiniquy his recovery was due to his being a man of remarkably strong will, and determination to resist death; that the will had a real power over the body, and his strong will had conquered. Chiniquy listened but preferred his saint, and had a votive picture painted of her for fifty pounds. A priest who saw it then told Chiniquy the cure was no miracle, and that most of the crutches hanging round the church were left by imposters; and the rest by those cured by the power of the mind over the body.

Till 1858 that picture, representing the saint telling Chiniquy he would be cured, was in the church. In that year he again got typhoid fever in Chicago, and once more was given up as dying. But this time he did not cry to the saint, but made a determination to get better and soon felt life returning. He then saw the saints had no part in his previous cure and took his picture down and burnt it.

It is evident, therefore, if some believe in signs, wonders, miracles, saints, charms, touching the King's garments, horseshoes, rabbit's foot, horse chestnuts, medicine or various negative thoughts and are healed--'' according to your faith so be it unto you"--but the unprejudiced, open-minded, thinking person will have his faith strengthened by understanding that all things are in divine order, in harmony, logical and scientific. Knowing that this infinite power is all-wise, with certain laws that always act and react the same, whether for sickness, or health, abundance or poverty, failure or success, gives an added impetus to the thinking person so that he understands that it is not signs, wonders, miracles, that heal but the superstitious and ignorant person may have the faith in these things aroused which effects the healing, but none of these things in themselves have any healing virtue. It is the life-giving God-presence, health-restoring power within each person to do the will of the Father so that the healings are effected.

In "Psychic Healing," Swami Ramacharaka gives another illustration of the power of mind to heal:

It is that the person may give himself just the suggestions that he would give a patient. The "I" part of you may give suggestion to that part of the mind that runs the physical organism and manages the body from cell to organ These suggestions will be taken and acted upon if given with sufficient earnestness. Just as people may make themselves sick by improper self-suggestions, so may they restore themselves to health by the proper suggestions given in the same manner

There is no mystery about this--it is in accordance with a well-established psychological law

Make the treatments vigorous--just as earnest as if you were treating somebody else instead of yourself. And you will get wonderful results.

There is no special mystery about this self-suggestion.

It is merely your "I" telling your instinctive mind to get to work and attend to its affairs properly. And by right living you give the instinctive mind the material with which to work and the conditions conducive to success

Just speak up to the instinctive mind just as if it were another person who had charge of your body and tell it what you expect it to do. Do not hesitate about being in earnest about it--put some life into your commands. Talk to it in earnest. Say to it, "Here, you instinctive mind, I want you to get down to work and manage things better for me. I am tired of this old trouble and I intend to get rid of it I am eating nourishing food, and my stomach is strong enough to digest it properly, and I insist upon your attending to it--right away, now.

I am drinking sufficient water to carry off the waste matter from the system and I insist upon jour seeing that my bowels move regularly every day. I insist upon your seeing that my circulation is equalized and made normal I am breathing proper and burning up the waste matter and properly oxygenating the blood and you must do the rest Get to work--get to work." Add to this any instructions that you think well and then see how the instinctive mind will ''get down to business."' Then maintain the proper mental attitude, bracing yourself with strong affirmations until you get things going right. Say to yourself, "I am getting strong and well--I am manifesting health," etc., etc. Now we have told you how to do it--then GET TO WORK AND DO IT'

"William Walker Atkinson, famous American writer on mental healing, has a most interesting addition, he thinks, to auto-suggestion. Instead of using, "I am well, etc.," he says the second person, "you," even when an individual is taking an affirmation for himself.

It is always a stronger suggestion for the healer to use a certain person, "you"--for instance, "You, John Doe, are well, whole and complete," but now Atkinson adduces a workable hypothesis which he says is better than this, when an individual is healing himself, John Doe is the patient ; John Doe desires to heal himself. Following Atkinson's suggestion, John Doe auto-suggests to himself in this fashion: "John Doe, you are well, whole and complete" (instead of "I am well, whole and complete").

In this respect, Atkinson says, "On the planes of the Subconscious are performed many of those processes of classification, analysis, synthesis, adjustment, relation, combination, etc., which are usually regarded as being performed exclusively by the conscious mentality."

Self-help,--auto-suggestion, does not always heal. In the first place, the person may not be able to make the suggestion of the conscious mind strong enough to the subconscious to open the little trapdoor to get the counter suggestion into the miracle-working, inner mind.

Second, auto-suggestion will not always avail, for the effort of the individual to try to concentrate or to bring about a healing makes him more conscious than ever in the matter, so that he is afraid that he is not going to have his demonstration or he holds the thought, "Will I have it! It doesn't seem as though I am any better." He keeps his mind on the trouble, whereas the best way to have a demonstration is to hold the thought, take your formula, either by yourself or others, and then forget it. Trying suggestion without assistance from someone falls short of the mark to some good, well-meaning, trustful, delicate, sensitive people who rely upon others. They must have their faith inspired by the presence and help of other people.

Third. Self healing does not always take place because one's imagination is not under control. He is either not able to stimulate his imagination to perfect health or his imagination pictures sickness, catastrophe and ill health, instead of the opposite--perfection.

Another method of treatment by suggestion and auto-suggestion is given by Wm. Brown, M.D., in "Suggestion and Mental Analysis."

The best method of employing suggestion and auto-suggestion would be one that avoided artificial dissociation altogether. This may be carried out by asking the patient to he on a couch with eyes closed and all voluntary muscles, as far as possible, relaxed and to think passively of sleep. The patient must avoid all effort, and if thoughts thrust themselves on his notice he should quietly turn his attention away from them and let them, one by one, pass by. He is to allow his mind to dwell upon the idea of sleep throughout the whole time that he lies on the couch, and to pay no attention to the words that the doctor will address to him later on. Although he will no doubt hear these words he is not to listen (actively) to them. For the first few moments the doctor suggests relaxation, passivity, and sleep in calm tones, and then proceeds to give his suggestions in a low voice, speaking with calm certainty.

The suggestions are both special suggestions in reference to the actual symptoms and to their causes, so far as they may have become known through previous mental analysis, and also general suggestions of sound mental and physical health. The further suggestion is also given that the patient will be able to help himself by auto-suggestion, which he will practice the last thing at night and the first thing in the morning until recovery is complete. The patient is allowed to lie on the couch, thinking of sleep, for an hour at a time, and the suggestions are given him every five or ten minutes. It has been previously explained to him that, although he is not listening to the suggestions with his conscious mind, yet his subconscious mind will receive them and act upon them. It is also explained to him that, should he actually fall asleep during the hour, it will be normal sleep, not hypnotic sleep, and that the suggestions will be received all the same. Almost all patients are able to be passive for an hour at a time in this way, and experience no restlessness whatever while doing so.

They often express surprise at this, and state that they could never do this by themselves at home. The rest itself appears to have a specially recuperative effect--like a concentrated rest-cure, as one of my patients remarked to me. After a few hours of treatment most patients find themselves able to carry out auto-suggestion satisfactorily. My advice as regards auto-suggestion is that the passive state should not be pro- longed for more than about a minute at any one time, for reasons already stated.

Permanent improvement may be obtained in this way, especially if the suggestion treatment is preceded by an adequate mental analysis. Almost all patients need help by suggestion from another person before they can obtain much success through auto-suggestion. This is not surprising, since suggestibility is an essentially social characteristic. It is only secondarily that one becomes suggestible to oneself as to an alter ego.

Remember that one of the biggest words in auto-suggestion as well as suggestion and mental healing is REPETITION. If you do not succeed in your healing or in maintaining your health, be sure that you repeat and Repeat and REPEAT to your subconscious mind.

It may take some people only a few minutes-- with others a day--some may have to repeat to the subconscious mind and take the affirmation several times a day for a week--others will find it necessary to do this for two or three or four weeks--with some it may even linger into a month, or months, but whatever you do, remember that repetition is the biggest thing in mental healing. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again is as necessary in the practice of mental healing as in anything else. Repetition. Repetition. Repetition!

This great creative principle that is scientific and logical, love, peace, joy, happiness, fellowship and brotherhood and fatherhood, is with us, will help us, guide us, lead us, make us well and prosperous and happy. That spirit is now with you and is a part of you. Accept it, believe it, and the peace that passeth all understanding shall be with you forever and forever.