7

of the subconscious region of mind has been firmly established.

While the theorists are disputing about names and generalities,
a great army of investigators are uncovering new principles
of application, and new facts of phenomena regarding this
wonderful part of the mind. While the theorists are disputing
about the Why, the investigators are finding out much about
the How. The subject has now reached the stage where it may
be divested from mysticism or supernaturalness, and studied
from a purely scientific position. Subconsciousness without
Suggestion, would be like Hamlet without the Prince. The
two subjects are bound closely together, and it is difficult to
consider one except in connection with the other.
In order to understand the modern psychological use of
the word suggestion which is the use that we shall make of
the term in this book, you must make the broad distinction
between the ideas accepted by the mind following the
employment of logic, reasoning, demonstration, proof, etc., on
the one hand; and impressions made upon, or ideas induced
in the mind by other methods. The words Impression and
Induce will give you the best idea of the effect of suggestion.
When an idea is placed in the mind of a person by Suggestion,
it is always placed there by one of the following three general
methods:
I. Suggestion by means of impressing the fact upon the mind
by firm authoritative statements, repetition, etc., in which the
suggestion acts as a die upon the molten wax; or
II. Suggestion by means of inducing the idea in the mind, by
indirect insinuation, hint, casual mention, etc., by which the
mind is caught off its guard, and the instinctive resistance of
the will is escaped; or
III. Suggestion, generally along the lines of association, in
which outward appearances, objects, environment, etc., act to
both impress and induce the idea into the mind.
Of course there are cases in which several of these three
methods are associated or combined, but a careful analysis will
Suggestion and Auto-Suggestion