By Edward B. Warman, A. M.,
One of the most noticeable facts in life is the great difference in the capacity of various persons to make impressions and command obedience through suggestion. As men differ widely in their physical capacity, so do they in their Psychical force. Some men may hurl missiles with greater force than others; so some men may project their ideas with greater effect than others. One man may address a jury, and the effect of the speech is only soporific. Another lawyer addresses the same jury on the same subject, and immediately every man is alert, wide awake, and fully convinced that he is listening to the truth. The last speaker knew how to drive his thoughts like javelins; he knew how to suggest forcefully. Such persons get the best results as healers by suggestion. The Law of Suggestion. Said the late Dr. Hudson: "The law of suggestion correlates all systems of mental healing; and all healing by mental process is dependent upon the law of suggestion, consciously or unconsciously applied." A placebo is a therapeutic suggestion which the medical profession has thoroughly understood and successfully practiced for centuries. An amulet is a therapeutic suggestion which the superstitious have effectively employed for ages. A saintly relic is a therapeutic suggestion which "the church" has employed with wonderful success since the days of Constantine. The insensate jargon of the Christian Scientist constitutes a therapeutic suggestion which has proved effective in thousands of cases. It is especially efficacious with those who are governed by their emotions and are untrained to habits of correct reasoning. It will thus be seen: first, that an effective suggestion is not necessarily an oral suggestion; second, that it is not necessarily a statement of fact; third, that the power that effects the healing is resident within the patient, and is not dependent upon any extraneous force whatsoever. Health is positive; disease (lack of ease, as the derivation of the word implies) is negative - not a thing in itself but merely a condition denoting the absence of health. Just as a light turned on in a dark room will overcome the darkness, or a fire made in a cold room will overcome the cold, these two positive elements making of a formerly chill and gloomy apartment one of warmth and cheer; so will positive thought, emotions and manner of life restore harmony where now physical inharmony exists. Health (harmony) is the normal state of man. Faith an Essential Element. Jesus of Nazareth was the first to define this necessary condition. "His whole career," said the late Dr. Hudson, "was demonstrative of the truth of His declaration." All the experimental researches of nineteen supervenient centuries have served to confirm and illustrate its truth. In that declaration He summed up the whole law of mental healing in that one word, "Faith."' That was the one mental condition on the part of the patient which He constantly insisted upon as essential to, the exercise of the power. That it was essential was clearly evidenced by the fact that He could not succeed in healing the sick in His native city "because of their unbelief." Note the faith of the woman who "pressed through the throng and but touched the hem of His garment and was instantly cured after having suffered many things of many physicians for twelve years, and had spent all she had, and was nothing better, but rather grew worse." This is the record given by Mark; but Luke, being a physician, gives a different account and thereby avoids any reflection on the medical profession. The healing art, as practiced by Christ and His disciples differed from some of the more modern methods in this regard - He knew no limitations and, knowing full well that a physician's diagnosis is not always infallible nor his judgment faultless, He did not ask for a physician's certificate as to the condition - organic or otherwise - but we are told that "He healed all manner of diseases." All that was required then; all that is required
now is the implicit, unswerving, unfaltering faith in the inherent
power - not an extraneous force. The gist of the whole matter
lies in the law of suggestion which, in the bands of a skillful
psychotherapist, sets in motion the The Subjective Mind. The soul is a separate entity and, as such, possesses independent powers and functions, having a mental organization of its own. It does not depend upon the body for its existence. Its highest faculty is intuition. It reasons only deductively. It controls all the silent, involuntary and negative functions of the body. It is amenable to control by suggestion. It is the seat of the emotions and the storehouse of memory. Its memory is absolute; in fact, everything you have ever heard or read or seen or said or even thought is registered in the subjective mind. This inherent power runs the entire human machinery when the objective mind is asleep or in abeyance; in fact, it runs it better when not interfered with by adverse suggestions from the objective mind. When you consider the fact that this inherent psychic power has absolute control over all the functions - nutrition, waste, all secretions and excretions, the action of the heart in the circulation of the blood, the lungs in respiration, and over all cell-life, cell-change and development - and that this power can be evoked and controlled at will, you will begin to realize something of the wonderful curative agency at your command. Auto-Suggestion. An auto-suggestion (self-suggestion) is as potent in its influence as is a suggestion given by another. Therefore, we should be very careful as to the thoughts we hold in our objective mind; for we make or mar our lives accordingly. The objective mind - otherwise known as the "conscious" mind - is the mind of the physical brain. It is born with the body, develops with the body and, as a separate entity, perishes with the body. It has for its media the five physical senses. It depends upon the body for its existence. It has control of all the voluntary functions of the body. Its highest faculty is reasoning; it reasons both inductively and deductively. Compare this mind of the body (objective) with the mind of the soul (subjective). You will perceive how very important it is to have harmony between these two minds in order to have desirable results. In auto-suggestion, remember that mind is indivisible. You cannot think of two things at the same time (objectively) any easier than you can be in two places at the same time. Therefore, concentrate your mind, with implicit faith, on that which you desire rather than upon the condition that exists, if the condition that exists is undesirable. Also remember that thought takes form in action. This applies with equal force to health and to business. You cannot dwell upon a diseased condition of the body and, at the same time, reasonably expect health. For the same reason you cannot dwell upon failure in business and, at the same time, reasonably expect success. Nor is there need to deny the evidence of the senses. To say that you are well when you are suffering excruciating pain; to say that you are rich when you haven't a dollar to your name, places you in the category of "cheerful liars." In giving yourself suggestions it is not enough to hope (this is sometimes expressive of doubt); it is not enough to desire, but you must expect that for which you hope and desire. The mere telling the subjective mind is not sufficient; an impression must be made through feeling it must be so. Mere words are often caught in the mental machinery and never get any further. Adverse Suggestion. When you have been healed of any ailment - whether of the body or the mind - by whatsoever system, "regular" or otherwise, beware of adverse suggestion. "No recorded words," said the late Dr. Hudson, ‘that the Master ever uttered display a more profound knowledge of the underlying principles of mental healing than those He used when and where the occasion demanded it – ‘See thou tell no man.’” If you allow an adverse suggestion to find lodgment it will grow and grow until it becomes a verity in consequence of your belief. Cast Out All Fear. You never can have release from illness or business difficulties so long as the fear-thought finds lodgment with you. Fear and expectancy do not co-operate. Fear is negative; fear invites albeit in a negative manner. You should hold a positive mental attitude because fear lessens the vital action, obstructs the functions of the glands, retards the secretion of the gastric juice and diminishes the vitality of the blood corpuscles - the standing army of the body - and thus, through fear, the invading host enters, takes possession, and destroys the health of the individual. "Flee from fear, and still the faster The possibilities of suggestion are many. I have mentioned but a few which, of themselves, are suggestive of the great scope of work that may be done. It is of inestimable value to the child that is backward in his studies; for the unruly child in school; for the wayward boy or girl who does not heed the wise counsel given. Also, one's natural talent may be greatly developed; in short, there is no occupation nor profession for which one has an aspiration that the necessary inspiration cannot be evoked and the inherent power set in motion.
The word itself is suggestive of an act, a word, a belief, confidence. All intelligence comes from without us. We know things only as we learn them. Our intelligence is expressed in words. We think in words. Words are things. Had man never been spoken to, he would never have spoken. Without speech, oral, or by signs made or written, we would have no way to communicate our ideas to each other. Words express thoughts. The influence of suggestion depends upon the interest
of the recipient. A state in which the mind is passive, and recipient,
interested, are absolutely conditions of importance. It also requires faith in the suggester and the suggested, before effects ensue. Without faith nothing can be done; nothing is done. Confidence removes all fear on the part of the suggested, and is an essential condition to be in, in order to derive benefit. The suggester should be a man of earnest, honest endeavor, having strong faith in the work being done, and should never falter in the least, but always be in earnest, expressing in himself implicit confidence in his work. The suggester, the educator, the minister, the lawyer, the workman of every line in life, to be successful, must be in earnest, have faith in what he is doing, to be successful, and be any benefit to his fellow men The minister who is not inspired with faith in his work, is unsuccessful, and his auditors are lacking in confidence in him. This is true in every department of life. The one who is not in earnest in his work, is a failure. The teacher must believe what he teaches, and express sufficient zeal to inspire implicit confidence in his pupil; then he can get undivided attention, and his labor will be eminently successful. No one can derive the full benefit of his labor, without being in earnest. Concentration of the mind, fixedly and steadfastly, is the only way to learn any subject. One can only grasp an idea by intense, fixed earnestness. One's earnestness expresses his confidence along any line in life. The legitimate use of suggestion, in the cure of disease, should be all one should desire, and these properly made, make remarkable changes in the one receiving the suggestions, and acting upon them. Many remarkable cures are made, not obtained otherwise, and in many instances the whole life is changed. Fixed states of mentality, even in cases of insanity, suggestions have wrought cures; restoring the insane to a normal state at once changed the thought, life; changed the relation of thought to its normal status.
You cannot do anything until you think you can. You will remain on the sidetrack until you have the confidence, that you can get back on the main track. Most people sidetrack themselves. They leave the switch open and run off the track from carelessness and never have courage or gumption enough to get back again. Many people cannot get up because they think that luck or fate is against them, that it is no use to try. The man who says there is no use trying will never rise and never get on; in fact, he will never get anywhere but further down. All of the creative forces of the mind fall into line with expectation. There is no law by which we can attract one thing while expecting something else. Most people torture themselves a large part of the time with their own bad thinking, with their own discouraging thoughts. "Man is not the creature of circumstances. Circumstances are the creatures of men," said Disraeli. Never allow yourself to think of the possibility to be even a failure. Stoutly assert that there is a place for you in this world, and that you are going to fill it like a man. Train yourself to expect great things of yourself. Never admit even by your manner that you are destined to do little things all your life. If you practice and persistently hold the positive, producing, opulent thought, this mental attitude will, some day, make a place for you, and create that which you desire. If you are ambitious to do anything great, anything distinctive, the greatest thing of which you are capable, spare no pains or expense in keeping yourself in superb physical and mental condition, keeping your life in tune with your great life - purpose. Keep it free from everything which would cut down its creative, productive power. You cannot, afford to harbor fear, doubt and discouragement, for they will halve your efforts and perhaps absolutely neutralize them. There is nothing like putting yourself in tune with the best thing in you, with your highest ambition, every morning. You will then be in position to do the best thing of which you are capable. Everywhere we see men trying to do great things upon which may hang vast interests, with their minds all crowded, crippled and cramped within the enemies of their achievement, and they do not know how to get rid of them. Never allow yourself to commence your day's duties with a hard expression, with a discouraging, dejected, melancholy sort of air about you. If you do you will find everything is likely to go wrong with you during the day. Start your song with the right key or you are likely to have discord throughout the day. All of the body follows the dominating thought, motive and feeling, and takes on its expression. For example, a man is constantly worrying, fretting, a victim of fear, cannot possibly help out-picturing this condition in his body. Nothing in the world can counteract this hardening, aging, ossifying process but a complete reversal of the thought, so that the opposite ideas dominate. The effect of the mind on the body is always absolutely scientific. It follows an inexorable law. We cannot conceal our thoughts, because each one of them is like a chisel, continually cutting its autograph and its photograph upon the mind and body, so that everybody who looks into our faces reads our secrets. It looks out of our manner, our bearing, and proclaims our real self to the world. Wherever thought dominates the mind at any time, it is continually modifying, changing the life ideal, so that every suggestion that comes into the mind from any source, is registered in the cell-life, etched in the character, and out-pictured in the expression and appearance. You will be surprised to see what mere persistence in holding your thought stoutly toward success and happiness will bring you. Constantly expect something large of yourself and refuse to allow your doubts and fears to cripple your efficiency. People do not realize how rapidly vitality is wasted in friction, in worry and anxiety, in harsh discordant notes which destroy the harmony of life. If you feel discordant, strangle the thought, do not dwell upon your troubles or harbor them. Every time you retail them, or encourage others to retail theirs, you sow seeds for a new crop of the same kind. "Exchanging symptoms is a vicious pastime, as it gives to other people by suggestion," says a writer. Keep the mind so occupied and the life so full of good things that there is no room for the bad, no time for worrying. Keep the mind so occupied that there will be no opportunity for the enemies of your happiness and your prosperity to gain an entrance. The full mind is the happy one. The empty mind, like a vacant lot, is soon filled with all sorts of noxious weeds. We would develop a life philosophy that would protect us from the enemies which would rob us of our birthright - happiness, a complete, joyous life. We ought to absolutely refuse admission to any thought, suggestion or mood, any sort of mental enemy that can make us suffer or rob us of divine mental poise, sweet serenity which is the glory of life and which is possible to every human being. Many people go through life doing the weaker thing, smaller thing, when the tremendous power was lying latent in their natures, only waiting to be aroused, power which would have enabled them to have done infinitely greater things. The power of self-suggestion to lead to self-discovery is simply beyond calculation. We can thus dive into the depths of our own natures and find possessions which we never before realized were ours. Even those who are doing the great things today are probably not reaching up to anything like their possible height, are probably not using anywhere near all their power. Vast reserves are lying in all of us, waiting to be uncovered, to be utilized. We are constantly being surprised by youths and young people who start out for themselves and do wonderful things without capital or influence, and we say, "Well, it was in them;" but people who do these things, do not seem to think that perhaps an equal or greater power is in them too. When you go into an undertaking, just say to yourself, "Now this thing is right up to me. I've got to make good to show the man in me or the coward. There is no backing out." Repeat to yourself some inspiring bits of poetry or sayings such as, "Give me the man who faces what he must." "What I can do, I ought to do. What I ought to do, I can do. What I can do and ought to do, by the grace of God, I will do." You will be surprised to see how quickly this sort of auto-suggestion will brace you up and put new spirit in you. - The Nautilus. |
The mind - and the body through the mind - is controllable by
suggestion. A suggestion, however, is not necessarily verbal,
but is often caused by something you see, hear, touch, taste or
smell. The mind can be stuffed, starved or poisoned as truly as
can the body. I have every reason to believe that there is not
a disease known to man which cannot be remedied and, in many cases,
cured if the mind of the patient be prevented from retarding the
recovery of health.