INNER CONSCIOUSNESS/PART 9
LESSON 9.
THE "LELAND METHOD"
Mr. Leland, whose remarks on Forethought we gave you in
the preceding lesson, paid much attention to a method of using the "Inner
Consciousness” which is generally known as "The Leland Method.” Other
writers, before and after Mr. Leland's work, have considered this phase of the
subject, but Mr. Leland deserves much credit for having brought the matter
before the attention of a large number of people in so practical a manner, and
in so forcible a style. We herewith give you the gist of his "method,” in
his own words, culled from his works on the subject. Mr. Leland begins by
stating that for a number of years he had given much attention, time, study and
reflection to the subject of the methods of impressing the Inner Conscious
planes of the mind with Auto-Suggestions (Forethoughts; Mental Commands; Orders
to the Brownies, etc.,) given immediately before one would sink to sleep at
night. He then goes on to say:
"All mental or
cerebral faculties can by direct scientific treatment be influenced to what
would have once been regarded as miraculous action, and which is even yet very
little known or considered. In the development of this theory, and as confirmed
by much practical and personal experience, the Will can by very easy processes
of training, or by aid of Auto-Suggestion, be strengthened to any extent, and
states of mind soon induced, which can be made by practice habitual. Thus, a
man, by a very simple experiment a few times repeated—an experiment which l
clearly describe and which has been tested and verified beyond all denial—an
cause himself to remain during the following day in a perfectly calm or
cheerful state of mind; and this condition may, by means of repetition and
practice, be raised or varied to other states or conditions of a far more
active or intelligent description. Thus, for illustration, l may say that
within my own experience, l have by this process succeeded since my seventieth
year in working all day far more assiduously, and without any sense of
weariness or distaste for labor than l ever did at any previous period of my
life. And the reader need only try the extremely easy experiment, as l have
described it, to satisfy himself that he can do the same, that he
can continue it with growing strength ad infinitum.”
Mr. Leland then goes on to point out to the reader the
effects of Auto-Suggestion, which are known to all students of psychology. He
says: "Then it came to my mind that since Auto-Suggestion was possible,
that if l would resolve to work all the next day; that is, apply my self to
literary or artistic labor without once feeling fatigue, and succeed, it would
be a marvelous thing for a man of my age. And so it befell that by making an easy
beginning l brought it to pass to perfection. What l mean by an easy beginning
is not to will or resolve too vehemently, but to simply and very gently, yet
assiduously, impress the idea upon the mind so as to fall asleep while thinking
of it as a thing to be. My next step was to will that l should, all the next
day, be free from any nervous or mental worry, or preserve a hopeful, calm, or
well-balanced state of mind. This led to many minute and extremely curious
experiments and observations. That the imperturbable or calm state of mind
promptly set in was undeniable, but it often behaved like the Angel in H. G.
Wells' novel, 'The Wonderful Visit,' as if somewhat frightened at, or of, with,
or by its new abode, and no wonder, for it was indeed a novel guest, and the
goblins of 'Worry and Tease, Fidget and Fear' who had hitherto been allowed to
riot about and come and go at their own sweet wills, were ill-pleased at being
made to keep quiet by this new lady of the manor. I had my lapses, but withal I
was simply astonished to find how, by perseverance, habitual calm not only grew
upon me, but how decidedly it increased. And far beyond perseverance in labor,
or the inducing a calmer and habitually restful state of mind, was the
Awakening of the Will, which I found as interesting as any novel or drama, or
series of active adventures which I have ever read or experienced.”
Then Mr. Leland proceeds
to impart to his readers his "discovery,” or "method,” as follows:
"And this is the discovery: Resolve before going to sleep that if there be
anything whatever for you to do which requires Will or Resolution, be it to
undertake repulsive or hard work or duty; to face a disagreeable person; to
fast; or make a speech; to say "No!” to anything; in short, to keep up to
the mark or make any kind of effort that you will do it— as calmly and
unthinkingly as may be. Do not desire to do it sternly or forcibly, or in spite of
obstacles—but simply and coolly make up your mind to do it—and it will much
more likely be done. And it is absolutely true that if persevered in, this
willing yourself to will by easy impulse unto impulse given, will lead to
marvelous and most satisfactory results.”
Mr. Leland then gives the following words of caution to
those undertaking the practice of his method: "There is one thing of which
the young or over sanguine or heedless should be warned. Do not expect from
this method, or anything else in this life, prompt perfection or the maximum of
success. You may pre-determine to be cheerful, but if you are very susceptible
to bad weather, and the day should be dismal, or you should hear of the death
of a friend, or a great disaster of any kind, some depression of spirits will
likely ensue. On the other hand, note well that forming habit by frequent
repetition of willing yourself to equanimity and cheerfulness, and also to the
banishing of repulsive images when they come, will infallibly result in a very
much happier state of mind. As soon as you actually begin to realize that you
are acquiring such control, remember that is the golden hour—and redouble your
efforts. I trust that I have thus far in a few words explained to the reader
the rationale of a system of mental discipline based on Will, and how by a very
easy process the latter may be gradually awakened. Everyone would like to have
a strong, vigorous Will, and there is a library of books or sermons in some
form, exhorting the weak to awaken and fortify their wills or characters, but
all represent it as a hard and vigorous process, akin to storm and stress,
battle and victory, and none really tell how to go about it. I have indeed only
indicated that it is by Auto-Suggestion that the first steps are taken.
"If we will that a
certain idea shall recur to us on the following, or any other day, and if we
bring the mind to bear upon it just before falling asleep, it may be forgotten
when we awake, but it will recur to us when the time comes. That is what almost
everybody has proved, that if we resolve to awake at a certain hour we
generally do so; if not the first time, after a few experiments, apropos of
which I would remark that no one should ever expect full success from any first
experiment. Just by the same process as that which enables us to awake at a
given hour, and simply by substituting other ideas for that of time, we can
acquire the ability to bring upon ourselves pre-determined or desired states of mind. This
is Auto-Suggestion, or deferred determination, be it with or without sleep. It
becomes more certain in its results with every new experiment or trial. The
great factor in the whole is perseverance or repetition. By faith we can remove
mountains, by perseverance we can carry them away, and the two amount to
precisely the same thing.
"And here be it noted what, I believe, no writer has
ever before observed, that as perseverance depends upon renewed forethought and
reflection, so by continued practice and thought, in Auto-Suggestion, the one
practicing begins to find before long that his conscious will is acting more
vigorously in his waking hours, and that he can dispense with the sleeping
process. For, in fact, when we once find that our will is really beginning to
obey us, and inspire courage and indifference where we were once timid, there
is no end to the confidence and power which may ensue. Now this is absolutely
true. A man may will certain things ere he fall asleep. This willing should not
be intense, as the old magnetizers taught; it ought rather to be like a quiet,
firm desire or familiarization with what we want, often gently repeated until
we fall asleep in it. So the seeker wills or wishes that he shall, during all
of the next day, feel strong and vigorous, hopeful, energetic, cheerful, bold,
or calm, or peaceful, as he may desire. And the result will be obtained just in
proportion to the degree in which the command or desire has impressed the
Sub-Conscious Mind, or sunk into it.
"But, as l have said: Do not expect that all of this
will result from a first trial. It may even be that those who succeed very
promptly will be more likely to give out in the end than those who work up from
small beginnings. The first step may very well be that of merely selecting some
particular object, and calmly and gently, yet determinedly directing the mind
to it, to be recalled at a certain hour. Repeat the experiment; if successful
add to it something else. Violent effort is unadvisable; yet mere repetition
without thought is time lost. Think, while willing, what it is that you really
do want; and, above all, if you can, think with a certainty and feeling that
the idea will surely recur to you.
"To recapitulate and make all clear we will suppose
that the reader desires during the following day to be in a calm,
self-possessed or peaceful state of mind. Therefore at
night, after retiring, let him first completely consider what he wants and
means to acquire. This is the Forethought, and it should be as thorough as
possible. Having done this, will or declare that what you want shall come to
pass on waking, and repeating this and thinking on it, fall asleep. This is
all. Do not wish for two things at once, or not until your mind shall have
become familiar with the process. As you feel your power strengthen with
success, you may will yourself to do whatever you desire.
"It may have struck the reader as an almost awful,
or at least a very wonderful idea, that Man has within himself, if he did but
know it, tremendous powers or transcendental faculties of which he has really
never had any conception. One reason why such bold thought has been subdued is
that he always felt according to tradition, the existence of superior
supernatural beings, by whose power and patronage he has been effectively
restrained or kept under. It may seem a bold thing to say that it did not occur
to any philosopher through the ages, that Man, resolute, noble and free, might
Will himself into a stage of mind defying devils and phantasms, or that amid
the infinite possibilities of human nature, there was the faculty of assuming
the Indifference habitual to animals when not alarmed. Our method renders
potent and grand, pleasing or practically useful, to all who practice it, a
faculty which has the great advantage that it may enter into all the relations
or acts of life; will give to everyone something to do, something to occupy his
mind, even in itself, and if we have other occupations.”
The student will
recognize in the "Leland Method” the same principles of Auto-Suggestion,
of Self-Command, that we have referred to in other lessons, together with the principle
of the "Mental Helpers” already spoken of. But he will also notice the
stress and importance that Mr. Leland attaches to the idea of giving the
Command or Auto-Suggestion just before one goes to sleep. This idea, in fact,
forms the key-note of the Leland Method, and Mr. Leland's ideas have attracted
much attention by reason thereof, notwithstanding that the idea of Suggestion
before sleep has been referred to and written upon by other writers, before and
since the date of Mr. Leland's work. But, inasmuch as the latter brought out
this phase of the subject so clearly, it is but just that any presentation of
the general subject contain a liberal reference to his work, theories and
ideas, and full credit for the same.
There is a good psychological reason underlying the fact
that Mental Commands given to one's own mind just before sleep should prove so
efficacious. The reason lies in the fact that sleep is a state induced by
nature not only for the purpose of resting the physical body and enabling the reparative
and recuperative processes to work to the best advantage— important as is this
work, there is still another purpose behind the phenomena of sleep. During
sleep there is a mental work going on, as well as a physical. The tiny worker
of the mind (to follow the figurative illustration already used by us)—the
"brownies” of the mind, do much of their work during the time of sleep.
The period of sleep is the time of "great doings” on some of the planes of
the Inner Consciousness. Then is to be found the performance of the work of
mental assimilation, analysis, collation, combining, adjusting, storing-away,
arranging, etc., of the material gathered by the outer consciousness, through
its sense organs and reasoning faculties during the waking hours just past. The
workers of the mind gather up the material roughly stored at the end of the
day, and store it away systematically, each impression according to its kind,
and according to the law of association, so that when one starts on a certain
subject he will find arranged in order all that he knows concerning that
subject—the process is like the arrangement of books in a large modern
reference library, so that anyone familiar with the system may go from one book
to another until he has acquainted himself with all the library contains
concerning that particular subject.
But this is not all. During the day the conscious mind
has made numerous demands for certain information—answers— work—solutions,
etc., more or less unconsciously, and the little workers of the mind take this
their first chance to do this work, now that the outer consciousness is asleep
and not bothering them with demands for the performance of the numerous tasks
of the day that demand immediate attention. They gather together the scattered
material, and like the brownies work up the material into perfected articles,
so that the next day the individual is surprised to find how his mind has
worked out many matters for him while he was asleep.
These little brownies "work while you sleep,” as the
current slang expresses it.
And so now you see the value of the "Leland Method.”
Just before going to sleep you formulate a definite demand upon the brownies,
and then dismiss the subject from your outer consciousness. Then while you are
asleep the desired task is accomplished—the missing link to the chain of
knowledge is forged and adjusted into place—the puzzling problem is solved—the
perplexing riddle is answered. But you must always remember that after you have
said to your Inner Consciousness, "Attend to this for me while l sleep,”
you must then positively dismiss the matter from your outer consciousness, just
as a great executive dismisses a matter when he gives it over to a tried and
trusted assistant. Until you do this the Inner Consciousness cannot do its work
properly. Always remember this in connection with this phase of the subject. It
is highly important.
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