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THE LIBRARY
OF
THE UNIVERSITY
OF CALIFORNIA
LOS ANGELES

Digitized by tine Internet Arciiive

in

2008

witii

IVIicrosoft

funding from

Corporation

littp://www.arcliive.org/details/appliedpsycliolog08soGi

MIND MECHANISM
Being the Eighth of a Series of
Twelve Volumes on the Applications

of Psychology to the Proble?ns of

Personal and Busifiess
Efficiency

THE

ISSUED UNDER
THE AUSPICES OF
SOCIETY OF APPLIED

PSYCHOLOGY

COPYRIGHT I 9 14
BY THE APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY PRESS
SAN FRANCISCO

CONTENTS
Chapter
I.

MAN'S DYNAMIC POWER

DAWNING CONCEPT
THE TWENTIETH CENTURY "NEW WORLd"
THE FETICH OF THE **NEW THOUGHT*'
THE CLAMOR OF TRANSITION
A

II.

6
7

CONCEPTUAL MODELS OF SCIENCE

TEST OF THE TRULY SCIENTIFIC
SCIENTIFIC SYMBOLISM
CLASSIFICATIONS AND GENERALIZATIONS

"particles" AND "ELECTRONS**

WEIGHTLESS, FRICTIONLESS ETHER
PREDICTING FUTURE EVENTS

III.

I
4
16

\J
I

WHAT EACH MAN SEES

WHAT SCIENCE WORKS WITH

20

TERM CONFUSION

21

THE MENTAL SUB -CELLAR

BRAIN-FACTS AND MIND-FACTS
MIXING NERVE -FIBERS WITH IDEAS
THE "fringe" OF CONSCIOUSNESS
"SPLIT- off" IDEAS
a conception that falls short
*'dual minds"
idealistic speculation
prevailing conceptions of the

25
ZJ
28

"subconscious"
CONCEPT THE business MAN NEEDS

3^
39

630036

29
3

34
35

Contents
Chapter

IV.

AN INVENTION FOR DEVELOPING

POWER

pae.

FUNDAMENTAL CONCLUSIONS
43
A SCIENTIFIC CONCEPT OF PRACTICAL UTILITY 46
THE SEQUENCE OF SCIENCE
52
ULTIMATE MENTAL ELEMENTS
53
SEEING A SUBCONSCIOUS COMPLEX
55
ORIGIN OF THE THOUGHT - STREAM
57
V.

FOUR ADDITIONAL LAWS OF

SUCCESS- ACHIEVEMENT
FUNDAMENTAL LAWS OF ACHIEVEMENT

MAN'S DYNAMIC POWER

Chapter

MAN'S DYNAMIC POWER

PRECEDING volumes we have

IN

outlined the mental processes and

new and

presented to you some

interesting

The

facts

time has come

marshal our
tific

mind

method

now

for us to

facts, to indicate

the scien-

of handling them, and to

show you how

a practical

and phases.

to

make

use of

them

in

way.

Your mental

operations

the course of your career.

determine

To

intelli-

gently direct them you must have a

scientific

conception of your

mind

as a

whole, one that you can use in clearing

Concept

Applied Psychology

A
The Twentieth

the

way

and happi-

to health, success

Century

"New World"

neSS.

The
ties

existence of any mental activi-

would have

outside of consciousness

been, and in fact was, ridiculed

even twenty-five, years ago.

within the

last

investigation

It

that

is

only

few years that through

hypnotic

of

and other

abnormal mental phenomena

men have

fifty,

scientific

discovered a mental world

was previously unknown.

This

discovery

offers

possibilities

greater than any that could possibly

result

from discoveries

matter.

in the

world

This new-found depth

spiritual side of

and powers

as

compared with

man

to the

reveals energies

relatively great

the

of

"mind"

when

of fifty

years ago as the applied electricity of

Mind Mechanism

today surpasses in importance the light-

ning that

Franklin

drew from the

clouds.

Since this discovery there has been

an astonishing upspringing of religious,

metaphysical and psychological

Vast numbers of
enlisted in them.

cults.

men and women

People

in all

are

walks

of life are interested in their preach-

Newspapers

ments.

abound

in articles

There
all

is

and

magazines

concerning them.

truth in all these cults.

are but transitory phases of a

Yet

dawn-

ing conception of the dynamic power

of man.

Nearly

all

these

"psychic" move-

ments center about the idea that there

is

a " subconscious mind," a

entity,

distinct

having no connection with the

*,,

"'^ncw

c..-,,,c.'/.

World"

Applied Psychology
The Fetich
gftite

'Neiv Thought"

mina

consciousness, except as the

of

^ source of information

jattgj.

j^ay

to the

"subconscious

\^Q

mind"

as to

what

goes on in the external world.

The "subconscious mind"

of the hour.

It

is

is

the fad

the chief topic of

discussion in religious circles, health

resorts

and women's

fetich of the

"New

clubs.

It

Thought."

is

It

employed by the unlettered with

much

the
is

as

easy assurance as by the scientific.

There are those who

separate

mind

it

assert that as a

reasons and reaches

conclusions by processes different from

we are acquainted.
are who address it famil-

any with which

Some

there

iarly as a distinct personality.

look upon

it

as

Others

the intelligence that

directs the operation of bodily func-

"

Mind Mechanism
on the one hand, while

tions

n
at

the
The Clamor

same time

it

identical in substance

is

with the most sacred treasures of

re-

ligious belief.

For some

it

is

the source of every

expression of true genius.

it is

the

With

others

medium through which speak

the spirits of the

And amid

mighty dead.

all this

clamor of enthu-

siasm and acclaim bold-voiced scientists

of high repute scoffingly assert that as
to this

alleged separate "subconscious

mind"

its

words

'

story

There

"may
is

be told in three

none.'

Transition

of

THE
CONCEPTUAL MODELS
OF SCIENCE

afe m^ hm, |#^

'il3Ci*li^ fSf^^'^C"''^^ 1>'^^'0^\'^^\ ^^f?C'1f\

^i-'irx

Chapter

II

THE
CONCEPTUAL MODELS
OF SCIENCE
WOULD

IT

proach
there

be folly for you

this subject,

exists

such

Test of the

to ap-

about which

wide-spread

confusion of thought, without a

You
intelligently among

prior study of basic principles.

cannot discriminate

these different conclusions without

first

own mind

the

formulating in your
rules

by which you are

to

be guided in

arriving at a decision.

You must
subconscious,

put every theory of the

or,

in

I I

more

scientific

Truly
Scientific

Applied Psychology

2,

Test of the
Scienfific

language, every conception of the subconscious,

to

the

test

of

conformity

with the methods of science.

this

It

you must
is

first

frame your

To

do

test.

universally recognized that no

theory or conception can be regarded

as truly scientific or justifiable unless
it

contains

certain

w^ell-defined

ele-

ments.

The

thing to do now, therefore,

to find out

what elements must

is

enter

into a conception of the subconscious

before that conception can be regarded

as truly scientific.

You

can then put these elements

to-

gether into a conceptual model, and by

this

model

may test

as a

standard of truth you

the various theories of the sub-

conscious.

Mind Mechanism

13

The words "science" and

tific "

"scien-

commonly regarded as having

much more restricted meaning than
are

Men

rightfully belongs to them.

talk

mind only

of " the sciences," having in

mathematics, chemistry, physics, those

sciences v^hich

phenomena

As

have

to

do with the

of matter.

a matter of fact, any branch of

classified

human knowledge

is

a science,

the term being just as applicable to

one department of the

of

human

experience

classified facts
as

another.

to

no more truly

Mathematics

is

than history.

The

historian,

scientific

if

he pur-

sues his researches in a scientific

ner,

is

bound by the same

rules as

manis

the

mathematician.

That which

distinguishes science on

sncuufic

Symbolism

Applied Psychology

I A,
Classifications

and

hand from speculation, from

the one

Generalisations

religious philosophy on the other,

not the nature of

method used

in their investigation.

Whatever
w^hether
istry

it

problem

the

may

arises in the study of

astronomy

or

but the

facts,

its

is

history, w^hether

it

be,

chem-

language

or

mind

relates to

or
or

matter, actual experience must furnish

the only elements that
ally be

employed

in

its

may

scientific-

solution.

Science deals solely with the facts

of

human

experience.

These

facts

it

submits to the two basic processes of

Classification

The

scientist classifies

relating to his

That

and Generalization.

is

evidence

problem

to say,
all

all

the facts

into sequences.

he groups together

of the

known

as

instances in

Mind Mechanism
which one

event, " B,"

rrom

A.

another,

i r

follows upon

such a collection

of sequences, the investigator deduces

a general principle.

And

this

if

general

properly accredited
a vast

number

that

principle

to say, if in

is

of instances "

is

B"

invari-

ably follows upon "A," and the utmost

research has failed to reveal a single
instance in

upon "A"
ognized

Now,

which

then

"

" does not follow

this principle

as a Scientific

is

rec-

Law.

these generalizations or laws

are not expressed in terms of actual

things.

physical

They

contain no reference to

realities

that

anyone

ever

actually heard or felt or saw.

They
form

are written

possible.

in

the

broadest

,,j

^""^''"'""""'"'

Applied Psychology

They

"Particles"

'Electrons"

are written in symbolic terms,

representing the essential character of

things

that

is

to say, in

terms not of

things, but of qualities of things.

The

terms in which such laws are expressed

stand for purely abstract conceptions.

Take, for example, the law of gravity,

" any particle

any other

attracts

particle," a " particle " being defined as

Or

an infinitely small portion of matter.

consider the modern scientific theory

that every

atom

is

composed

trons," each revolving in

orbit about a central point.

ton,

who framed

never saw a

man

^'

the

of " elec-

own tiny
Now, New-

its

law of gravity,

ever seen or otherwise had senso-

ry knowledge of an "electron."
*'

any

particle," nor has

electron"

and

"particle"

The

are,

in

Mind Mechanism

other words, imaginary things, abstract

ideas,
at

theoretical conclusions, arrived

by reducing sensory experiences

to

their essential qualities.

The

ether, of

whose "waves" and

"vibrations" physics has so

say,

is

all

to

of precisely similar character.

In a way,
to

much

it

actually does violence

our experiential knowledge of

physical things, for

it

is

having neither weight nor

So, too, the "points"

geometry are imagined

out substance

and

as

imagined

as

friction.

and "lines" of
as

being with-

occupying no

space.

In other words, the "particle," the

"ether," the "line,"

the "point," are

none of them concrete

Like the

realities.

letters of algebra,

they are

[Vcightiess.
'^^
/'^Jj'/J.""

Applied Psychology

Predicting

Future
Events

"merely symbolic

terms employed by

the scientist in the solution of his prob-

lem.
to

They

are physical facts reduced

their theoretical or conceptual es-

sence

and

are

therefore

technically

known as concepts.
The value of the whole system
in the fact that
to

by

deduce from the

it

we

lies

are enabled

facts of experience

laws of such general application that

we may apply them

to the

widest pos-

sible variety of appropriate facts,

way predict
Now, what may

in this

and

future events.
constitute the es-

sence of a given fact of experience de-

pends altogether upon the point of view

of the Investigator.

It

depends upon

the purpose or subject of the investigation.

Mind Mechanism
The

may be
another. The
one

essential factor for

of no consequence

19

to

'

petal of a rose to a geometrician

is

an

irregular solid bounded by curved surfaces.

To

the chemist

To

of atoms.

neither

it is
is it

an aggregate
a living thing

of fragrant beauty.

In other words, the same fact

may be

differently conceived according to the

point of view.

Each

that element only

investigator sees

which

is

pertinent to

own scientific aim. The concept of

one may be just as valuable as the conhis

cept of another.
in its

own

Each

all

of value only

field of research.

In an earlier volume
that

is

we

pointed out

our knowledge comes

through the

senses.

The

to

senses are

us

our

only means of communication with the

'i'^'f ,,
Each
Man
^''^-^

Applied Psychology

2o
What Science
Works zvith

outCF world.

All experience
^

is

sensory
^

experience. All the facts of experience

are in the last analysis merely senseimpressions.

Sense-impressions are the sole material of

modern

man, whatever
that

he

is

his

He

is

"things

perfectly

sense-impressions

realities, the

scientific

considers

subject,

dealing with

themselves."
that

No

science.

are

in

aware

the

only

only things of which he

has or can have direct knowledge, and

that the

world for him

else

mental world.

is

What,
gists

then,

do

as for

scientists,

everyone

psycholo-

and physicists mean when they

speak of material or physical things as

distinguished from mental,
distinguish between

when

they

mind and matter?

Mind Mechanism
The answer

is

this:

The

psycholo-

Icnn
Confusion

gist

and the physicist have entirely

different scientific conceptions.

They

look at the world from two different

points of view.

Each

selects

from

his facts those ele-

ments and adopts those conceptions that

are suited to his needs.
is

The

physicist

writing a story of the world of ex-

perience in terms of motion and structure.

The

psychologist

story of the

is

writing the

world of experience

in

terms of ideas, emotions and impulses.

Consequently,

when you come

to

devise mental concepts and enunciate

mental laws, you must confine yourself

to

mental terms. You must not invade,

for example, the field of physiology.

You must

not frame your laws in terms

Applied Psychology

22
Term

drawn from

the dissecting-room.

You

Confusion

must not

try to get

qualities of brain

When

to the essential

and nerve

tissue.

you find that the awakening

of an idea in
certain

down

memory

muscular

brings with

activities,

it

you must

conceive them as resulting not from the

potential physical energy in the nucleus

of a brain

cell,

but from the potential

mental energy of an idea.

THE MENTAL SUB-CELLAR

Chapter

III

THE MENTAL SUB-CELLAR

WITH

these

distinctions

Brain-Facts

you are

Mind-Facts

clearly in mind,
in a position to

examine

in the light of first prin-

ciples the various theories or conceptions of the subconscious.

In the midst of

all

the diversity of

men and

rep-

utable lay writers, four theories

may

opinion

be said

among
to

predominate.

summarize
1.

scientific

Some

these.

psychologists

mental phenomena
less

Let us briefly

as

regard

all

nothing more nor

than manifestations of brain activ-

25

Applied Psychology

26

This

Braiu-Facts

ity.

Mind-Fa'ct

scriptive

IS

the point of

psychologists."

view of

" de-

With them,

subconscious activities are but the out-

ward

expression of "unconscious cere-

bration"

that

is

to say,

brain action,

which we arc

brain-cell activities, of

unconscious.

Now, with due

respect to these dis-

tinguished authorities, you, as a stu-

dent of the mind, must certainly deal

with the
al

facts of anesthesia in hysteric-

persons,

the

facts

personalities," the

bodily

operations,

of

facts
as

"dissociated
of automatic

expressions

of

mind

activity.

ately

caused by brain- or nerve-cell

activity.

ity

may

by mind

They may be immedi-

But brain- or nerve-cell

in

activ-

turn have been produced

action.

Mind Mechanism

^7

In any event, you are investigating

,

the mind, not

upon bodily
brain action

111
the body,

and

to

II
look

activities as the result of

is

to

jump from one mode

of conceiving things to the other. It

is

mix mental and physiological conceptual terms in a manner incompatible

to

w^ith scientific methods.

Nerve

fibers cannot be scientifically

conceived as forming a connection be-

tween two

You

ideas.

are after practical results.

Your theory
sciousness

of the

mind and subcon-

must explain mental phe-

nomena and enable you

to

frame mental

laws for your future guidance.

Your theory

of the subconscious

must

be based upon purely mental conceptions.

It

must be constructed wholly

Mixing
\

crvc-Fibcrs
ideas

li^uh

Applied Psychology

2,

The "FringeConsciousness

Only

out of terms of mind.

in this

way

will you be able to so express the laws

of

mind and apply them

life as to secure the

efficiency in

in

your daily

highest degree of

your mental operations and

employ to the

fullest extent

your mental

energies.
2.

The term "subconscious"

by some

which

at

any mo-

outside the focus of the

lies just

attention.

used

to define that portion of the

field of consciousness

ment

is

By them

the subconscious

is

conceived as an area of restricted attention.

To them

merely

the

subconsciousness means

marginal

horizon

" fringe" of consciousness.

connection, the prefix

And,

or

in this

"sub" implies

merely the limited awareness that we

have for these

facts of consciousness out

Mind Mechanism

29

of the corner of the mind's eye.

It

is

way

the term

"subconscious" represents no

scientific

obvious that used in this

conception whatever.

term used

It

is

simply a

to describe certain parts of

the field of consciousness, to designate

certain facts of experience as but dimly

recognized

consciousness

in

pared with certain other

3.

The

com-

as

facts.

third use of the term "sub-

conscious"

that in

is

which

ployed chiefly by medical

it

is

em-

men and

students of the psychology of the ab-

normal.

To

these

ideas are ideas

men

which have been

ciated or "split off"

or, as they say, "

" split off "

subconscious
disso-

from the waking

normal

" consciousness,

from the main personal con-

sciousness to such a degree that the

-spht-off"

/>

Applied Psychology

split-off"

Ideas

owner

in his

normal

state

is

unaware of

their existence.

These dissociated ideas may

merely of isolated and

consist

lost sensations, as

in the anesthesia of hysterical patients,

or they

may

be assembled into aggre-

gate and organized groups of sensations.

In the latter case they form a

consciousness that exists simultaneously

with the primary consciousness, and

we

have the so-called "double" or "multiple" personality.

Now,

such a person in his state of

primary consciousness has no immediate

knowledge of

his

secondary con-

sciousness, 3.nd, vice versa, his secondary

consciousness has no immediate knowl-

edge of the existence of the primary

consciousness.

If either learns of the

Mind Mechanism
existence of the other,

it is

^ j

by deduction a

from appearances or from information

which

is

gathered from other persons.

Meanwhile, the observer, the medical psychologist, deduces the existence

of this subconscious state

ward

from

its

out-

manifestations, just as he deduces

the existence of ordinary consciousness

in other persons, not directly,

but by

in-

ference from their physical manifestations

and

his

own

sense-perception of

them.

For the student of the mind,

this

then,

secondary consciousness, so far as

concerned,

not

its

essential nature

in

any respect different from the or-

is

is

dinary consciousness.
If

Professor Janet or Dr.

Prince

engages in conversation with an indi-

Conception

raiis short

Applied Psychology

Conception

vidual whose hand, at the same

moment

Falls Short

and without the knowledge of

his pri-

mary

consciousness, writes answers to

the questions of a third person whis-

pered in his

ear, then Professor

Janet

or Dr. Prince will speak of this auto-

matic writing

as

manifestation of

subconsciousness just as he

would speak

of the patient's conversation as a manifestation of consciousness.

No attempt is made to

reason back of

the manifestation and determine

came

about.

how

it

These men merely recog-

nize the coexistence of the conscious

and what they

They do

call

the subconscious.

not pretend to offer a scientific

conception amounting to an explanation.

In the words of Dr. Janet, "

a simple clinical observation of a

it is

com-

Mind Mechanism
mon

character which these

33

phenomena

present."

than

the

this,

steadily gaining

opinion

ground among

is

investi-

gators of this type that the subconscious

actually has no part in these manifesta-

is

abnormal mental

action.

There

among them

a general tendency

to

adopt the suggestion of Dr. Prince and

describe such dissociated ideas, organ-

ized or disorganized, as "co-conscious,"

instead of "subconscious."

Now,
to

to limit the

term subconscious

abnormal dissociations of ideas of

the character
far

short

of

we have

referred

to, falls

your requirements.

offers no theory of the

mind

that

//

you

can employ in the practical affairs of

your

toncettion

;?:/,,,,,,,

More

tions of

life.

Applied Psychology

'lA

Dual

These physicians are concerned only

with the manifestations of mental abnormalities and diseased minds.

They

are not trying to solve the mystery of

the healthy normal mind.

ant garden of the

In the luxuri-

mind they observe

only the evidences of decay.

4.

The

fourth use of the

conscious"

is

" sub-

an elaboration and expan-

sion of the third.

of the term

word

is

This fourth meaning

which

that in

it is

em-

ployed by the great majority of lay

writers.

These writers proclaim the existence

of two distinct " minds."

One

"minds," the objective,

is

sense-impressions,

mind

sciousness, the

the

mind

the

of these

mind
of

of

con-

that receives all

messages from the outer world and in

Mind Mechanism
turn conducts
ties

all

"minds"

our immediate

relation to

it.

rr>i

activi/

It

tirely outside of consciousness.

en-

is

It has

no direct communication with the outer

We are not directly aware of its

world.

existence.

It

is

for each

man

his indi-

vidual segment of the Spirit of God.

This
writers,

the

lay

distinctly metaphysical

and

last
is

theory,

that

of

appeals strongly to the imagination. It

idealistic

is

and fascinating. But

obvious that the term

ness"
the

is

it

is

" subconscious-

here taken altogether outside

domain of science and inscribed

in

the dictionary of religious and speculative philosophy.

Summarizing

we

find

idealistic

Speculation

he other of these

the subjective.

is

a r

these different views,

Applied Psychology

36
Prevailing
Conceptions
of the

1.

That

the term "subconscious"

employed by

'Subconscious"

tify

is

different writers to iden-

phenomena belonging

to entirely

different fields of thought.

2.

That

although

these

observed

are strictly mental phenomena,

facts

and, so far as you are concerned, should

be viewed from the standpoint of the

many

authorities so un-

fortunately confuse

them with physio-

psychologist,

logical material that they

seem

to

make

no distinction between mind and brain,

and that mind-facts and brain-facts

seem

to

be for them interchangeable

terms.
3.

men

That through
the

the writings of lay-

popular mind has become

befuddled with vague and speculative

explanations of the

facts,

explanations

that

may

Mind Mechanism

actually he true, but are in the

''rciaiUng

Conceptions

very nature of things incapable of proof

J

,,

and are utterly out of place

tific

study of the subject.

excursions

into

the

in a scien-

They

dream

are

forest

of

mysticism, occultism and religion.

4.

That

of the

subconscious

that

two theories of the

may

properly

classed as scientific, one defines

^'

it

be
as

the fringe of consciousness," the other

defines

it

concurrent consciousness,

as a

a " co-consciousness,"

made up

of active

but dissociated elements of the main or

primary consciousness.

You must

agree with us that these

definitions are

You

narrow and inadequate.

require a scientific conception of

the subconscious that shall view the

subject in all

its

phases, shall

of the

"Subconscious"

make

Applied Psychology

Prevailing

broad

generalizations

possible,

and

mind

full

Conceptions
of the

shall thus realize for the

its

"Subconscious"

possibilities of usefulness in all the re-

lations of

men.

Every one of the theories of the subconscious that

we have

outlined falls

before one or the other of two objections.

The
theory
is

speculative
falls

and- metaphysical

before the objection that

unscientific.

The

physicians and the

conception of the

men

of scientific

repute falls before the objection that

is

it

it

of limited practical value.

Now,

a scientific conception of the

subconscious,

same time

which

sufficiently

shall

to

at

the

broad for general

practical use, will not only

how

be

show you

cure mental diseases or any

Mind Mechanism

*!

other sort of functional diseases, but

will also enable

km

in

you

to solve

every prob-

which mental operations are a

factor.

Mental operations are not only a

factor,

but they are the one and impor-

tant factor in every phase of a man's

career.

Consequently you must have a

conception of the subconscious that you

can use like an algebraic formula

in

meeting your daily needs, hopes and

responsibilities.

The

sort of conception of the sub-

conscious that you require must be justifiable

from the standpoint of science

and must

at the

comprehensive

same time be
to

sufficiently

account for

all

forms

of mental activity outside of consciousness.

What you want

is

a scientific ex-

^onccpnue
^'''^1"'

^'""

Applied Psychology

J.O
Concept the
Business

Man

Needs

normal mental processes

planatioii of

n
Well

^-

as a scientific

normal mental

And,

to

^*

as
i

/:

explanation of ab-

processes.

merit the term "scientific,"

your conception must conform

to the

three requirements of every scientific

concept: First,

it

must be expressed

in

terms that represent the reduction of

facts to their essential properties; sec-

ond,

it

must be expressed wholly

in

mental as distinguished from physiological terms, and, third,

//

must explain

all the facts in the sense that

can be found

to

no facts

which the explanation

could not logically be made

to

apply.

AN INVENTION
FOR DEVELOPING

POWER

Chapter IV

AN INVENTION
FOR DEVELOPING
POWER
N THE volumes

more

something

tentatively

facts.

subconscious.
to

did

put forward
conclusions

of the elements of the

What we

have

to

do now

marshal, systematize and arrange

these conclusions

may

of

we

merely

than

We

number

embodying some

and such others

as

we

require into workable form for

everyday
first set

use.

Consequently

we

shall

forth briefly the conclusions ar-

43

^""^'""^'"'''

Conclusions

Study of the subconscious

catalogue

is

that preceded this


Applied Psychology

A A
Fundinncntal
Conclusions

rived at in former lessons and then

you

just

what

the subconscious

tell

is.

Every human being has but

First

one mind. Its phases and elements are

many.

Second

Every

human body

is

the

abode not only of the consciousness that

perceives and reacts

to

sense-impres-

sions, but also of countless cellular in-

telligences, each of
utilizes

its

special function

reproduction of

cell intelligences

control

nerve

instinctively

ways and means for the per-

formance of
the

which

embodied
system

its

under

the body.

a supervisory

on without our

carry

the

These

the sympathetic

in

knowledge or volition
subconsciously

kind.

and

that

is

to say,

vital functions of


Mind Mechanism
Third

All

experiences,

sensory
.

whether perceived

or

45

not,

wnetner

capable of voluntary recall or not, are

somehow and somewhere mentally

pre-

served.

Fourth

Every

idea thus stored in

subconsciousness possesses an inherent

latent energy tending to

produce some

particular form of muscular activity.

Fifth

Whether we are conscious or

unconscious, a certain element of the

mind, which we may

is

call

^^

attention'*

ever vigilantly awake and bars from

consciousness
pressions

excepting
trained

Sixth

and

all

incoming sense-im-

all

suggested memories

those

to select

The

which

it

has

been

and admit.
attention

control by the will.

is

subject to

ruudamcuiai
Conclusions

Applied Psychology

A,6
AScientific

Concept of
Practical
Utility

\yg

propositions

these

Stated

h^LYC

again
in order to refresh your memory
^
concerning them. It might be well for
.

you briefly

to

review the previous books

at this point, to trace again the course

which

of reasoning by

these various

conclusions were arrived

may be

suggested that they

mind

firmly fixed in your

deductions from the

We

submit

now

subconscious that

This

at.

the

is

more

as logical

facts.

a conception of the
fills

all

the require-

ments of practical usefulness and of

conformity with

scientific

Subconsciousness
individual

mind

is

not

methods.

all there

is

embraced

of the
in the

passing motnentary consciousness.

such,
stincts

it

As

includes all the primary in-

with which

man comes

into the

Mind Median ism

world.

As

such,

it

is

the

sum

a
total of

all his individual cellular intelligences,

^

It

is

that department of

directs the

the body

mind which

nourishment and repair of

and automatically operates the

vital functions.

It

the repository in

is

which are retained

all sensory experi-

ences, conscious or unconscious,

remem-

bered or forgotten.
Subconsciousness
of ideas, emotions

from which

is

is

and motor impulses,

drawn

the elements of

a vast reservoir

the greater part of

which consciousness

composed, for consciousness

is

consists in

part of present sensory experiences, but

far the greater part of

made up

of ''thoughts"

warehouse of the

The

its

contents

is

drawn from

the

and motor

im.-

past.

ideas, emotions

j
,,

scuutitic

(-"'"^^t" "/

rnictical
f^'m^ty

Applied Psychology

48
A

Scientific

Concept of
Practical
''

''^'

pulses

t/ius

retained in subconsciousness
,

^^^ grouped together and classified for

purposes of ready reference by the

sociative

processes

the

of

mind

as-

into

''groups" and ''complexes."

All ideas stored

possess

or

latent

which becomes

in subconsciousness

potential

energy

kinetic or circulating

energy when they are drawn actively

into

the

sciousness.
to

changing

momentary

This energy

some form

is

con-

an impulse

of muscular activity, so

that every idea in subconsciousness has

associated with

it

the impellent energy

necessary to produce a particular mus-

cular motion.

Every idea stored

in subconscious-

ness has associated with

it

not only an

impellent energy, but also an emotional

Mind Mechan ism

quality

appropriate

inherent

the

to

character of the idea.

triumphant, victorious, suc-

cessful, are
ness, they

drawn

tend

into

your conscious-

outwardly manifest

to

themselves in such bodily activity as

may

he appropriate

to

your part

in the

picture and to beget within you at the

same time feelings of health, invigoration, capability and power.

Conversely,

if

complexes or ideas

constituting mental

fortune,
active in

disease

pictures

and

mis-

death

of

become

your consciousness, they bring

with them impulses that tend

to

de-

press the action of your heart

and other

your body and

to restrain

vital organs of

all bodily activity,

Scienilfic

pTutina

If mental images in which you are

yourself

while

at the

same

^'''''>'

r
A

Applied Psychology

down with

Scienivfic

time they weigh you

"practical

^f self-ubasement, dejection

Utility

feelings

and melan-

choly.

The

extent of the influence of any

idea or group of ideas or complex of

associated mental elements, once

comes active

upon the

in consciousness,

relation in

which

it

it

be-

depends
stands to

the other elements of consciousness.

If there are at the same time present

in

your consciousness one or more con-

flicting ideas or

groups of ideas, the

given idea will he but faintly portrayed

to

your mind's

ties

eye. Its

emotional quali-

will touch you but lightly,

impulses

more
If,

to

and

its

muscular activity will be

or less restrained.

on the other hand, the given idea

holds undisputed sway in your con-

Mind Mechanism

51

sciousness, if no conflicting or inhibitory

'

Scieutinc

Concept of

ideas

and impulses are simultaneously

,

then

present,

the

mental picture

is

painted with bold strokes and clear per^

spective, with

high lights and deep

shadows. It stands forth as an assured

and you have the phenomenon

reality,

commonly

For
more

called ^'belief."

''faith" or ''belief"
nor. less

is

nothing

than the presence of an

idea in consciousness freed from the

restraints of contrary thoughts.

This

is

conceive
binds

it

Our
true

the subconscious as you must

it

and the nature of the

tie

that

to the personal consciousness.

course of reasoning has been

and our assumptions have been

well and logically made, and you will

find that all future

happenings

in

your

Practical
Utilitv

Applied Psychology

The Sequence
of Science

actual experience will accord with the

principles

We want you
that

we have

characterizes
first,

to

observe particularly

here the sequence that

all

the collection

facts, as in

we have deduced.

scientific

and

methods:

classification of

our collection and marshal-

ing of subconscious mental activities in

this

Course; secondly, the invention of

a conception

to

explain these facts.

All laws of physical science have

been evolved

in just this

way.

Kepler

collected data concerning the changing

positions of

the planets

strated that they

orbits

around the

and demon-

moved in elliptical
sun. Newton subse-

quently brought forward the law of

gravity with the conception of an unseen force as an explanation of Kepler's

Mind Mechanism
facts

and

as a

means

53

for foretelling the

future action of the planets and other

masses of matter.

Our

conception of the subconscious

not only accounts for the existence of

known mental phenomena, but

expressed

in

terms

it

is

and

ultimate

of

all

abstract elements along scientific lines.

With

these elements

framed, and will

laws intended to

we have

still

already-

further frame,

sum up

past mental

experience and enable us to predict the

outcome of any future mental

How

action.

different this conception

from

the subconsciousness of the students of

abnormal psychology!

Applying our

principles to their facts,

we

conclude

that while normally consciousness

unit,

it

may

at times,

is

through an ab-

iin,uitc

'Elements

Applied Psychology

rj_
Ultimate

Elements

normal or deranged

functioning

become

attention or dissociation,

up

into

of

different composition.

may be

of these consciousnesses

systematically organized,

them

is

split

two or more coexisting con-

sciousnesses

Each

of

but one of

usually associated with a

more

profound system of memory than the

other,

and

mary

consciousness.

is

therefore called the pri-

In

this

way

are

brought about those abnormal manifestations

ranging from mere

feeling in

some part of the body

loss

of

to dis-

sociated "personalities."

You

can

now

see that

of the subconscious

is

our conception
very different

from any of the prevailing doctrines

this

phase of mental activity

outlined them.

It

is

as

of

we have

conception that

Mi?id Mechanism

55

meets fully the standard you have

set

for yourself.
It

is

CumMcx

wholly a psychical

as

distin-

guished from a physiological concepIt takes into account the

tion.

whole

array of subconscious phenomena and

reduces them to elementary terms.

In

this

level of

conception you

mere

rise

above the

facts to the

plane of pure

Have you

ever seen or

abstractions.

heard or

felt

"subconscious com-

plex"? Have you ever seen or heard or

felt

or in any

way been

conscious of a

system of associated ideas, emotions and

impulses which were not at the time

consciousness?

The very

proposition

in
is

absurdly self-contradictory.

But neither has any man ever seen an

"electron"

.^c^wj^a

Subconscious

nor the

infinitely

small

Applied Psychology

Seems

"particlc" of matter, nor had sensory

Complex experience of the weightless, friction-

some-

less ether.

If the subconscious

thing that

it

anyone

perceive through the me-

dium

to

is

would be impossible

of the senses, so

is

for

the infinitely

small "particle" of matter something

that

would be impossible

it

to perceive

through the

for anyone

senses.

Do not suppose for a moment that the

acceptance of this theory of the

mind

precludes any particular form of religious belief.

perfect

On

the contrary,

harmony with

it is

in

the most highly

idealized conception of the spiritual

quality of man.
It

is

the author's individual belief

that there
rectly at

is

an Inner Spirit more di-

one with the Deity than any

Mind Mechanism
mere mental
the

that

function.

It

may

57
even be

phases

subconscious

of

the

mind bring us into a more intimate

communion with God than any phase
of consciousness, and that subconsciousness

is

the actual instrument of

com-

munication between the Infinite and

man.

It

may

moments
before the

of

be that in sleep and in

profound

life of

consciousness inter-

venes, the Divine Father

his children. It

may

from

is

be that

of thought that flows

us

reflectiveness,

nearest to
this

stream

upward through

subconsciousness

into

con-

may find its origin in the

Divine Mind and Heart. Who can
tell? We know not. These things may
sciousness,

be true, but they cannot be verified.

They cannot be put

to the acid test of

origin of ihr

v/mi'm

Applied Psychology

Ovigin of the

ThoughtStream

rcason.

And,
,

earlier book,

you learned

as
.

it

in

is

unnecessary to the

scientific pursuit of self-conscious

that

we

causes.

an

should

determine

ends

"first"

FOUR ADDITIONAL
LAWS OF SUCCESSACHIEVEMENT

^'fe
|
te* te?
m'i?^t^]

^^36c^

fSf^V*';'<iX ,*y_T^:'V>f

ife^i^f^i^

(5?yr^:cs' ?^V^Lfi

iJiKii iii^l^i i-ilil

*i^* *%^?, *i4;p'jiy^,'^:*^^^

ifeK'-5^A^ ji^i'^^'

Chapter V

FOUR ADDITIONAL
LAWS OF SUCCESSACHIEVEMENT
T

IS

well that you should

.

mark
.

again at this time our three origi-

-^^

Success

we

nal

fundamental

shall here

ciples

that

principles

Achievement,

to

of

which

add certain other prin-

you must now regard

as

established.
I.

All

human achievement comes

about through some form of bodily

activity.
II.

All

bodily

activity

is

caused,

controlled and directed by the mind.

6i

Fuvdnmcntai
'^axvs of

Achievement

Applied Psychology

52

HI. The mind

Fundamental

IS

therefore the in-

Laivs of

Achievement

strumetit that

we must employ

in the

accomplishment of any purpose.

You have but one mind, but it

mind with phases of consciousness

IV.
IS

and phases of subconsciousness.

V. Your consciousness is made up
in part of present sensory experiences

and

in part of

complexes drawn from

subconsciousness.

VI. Your subconsciousness

mental reservoir of

made up

classified

of ideas, emotions

is

a vast

complexes

and motor

impulses.

VII. The presence of any idea

in

your consciousness tends simultaneously

to

to

produce an associated '^feeling" and

impel you

muscular

to

certain appropriate

activities.

Mind Mechanism

63

You now have a conception of the

-J on the order
J
human mind
of the con1

ceptions of physical science.

We shall

show you how

make

to

this

conception of as great practical value

in

harnessing the forces of your

mind

as

any other

scientific

own

conception

has been in harnessing the forces of the

physical world.

The

trained business

storing in

its

facts that will

mind

is

subconscious stronghold

be needed and lessons

be drawn from them. It has

its

principles,

forever

its

details

of

cial transactions at instant

its

to

facts,

commer-

command.

It is the unfailing source of

Energy,

Courage, Confidence, Enthusiasm and

Practical Ability.

with

doubts

and

You who

are beset

perplexities,

with

i-nndamcntai
LazL'sof

Achiciemetii

Applied Psychology

6 a.
Fundamental
Law.f/
Achievement

wastcful passions and unmanly fears,

^^
free

-j^

and

deeper mind to
Jr

to reveal greater

set you
J

and richer

opportunities for achievement.

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