MIND POWER THE SECRET OF MENTAL MAGIC/PART 17
Chapter 17.
Four Kinds Of Suggestion
Mental
suggestion produces its effect upon the minds of people along one or more of
four general lines or paths of action. All the phenomena coming under this head
may be placed in one or more of the four classes. These four paths, or lines of
action, along which Mental Suggestion operates, are as follows:
1.
Obedience;
2.
Imitation;
3.
Association;
4.
Repetition.
I
shall now proceed to consider these four paths, or lines of action, separately,
in order, and in detail. Beginning with the first mentioned line of action, let
us consider:
Suggestion
Through Obedience—Suggestion operating along this line
consists of the induction of mental states, etc., by the agency of a positive
statement, assertion, assumption, authoritative attitude, etc., which so
impresses itself upon the mind of the person suggested so that he sets up no
opposition or resistance, but acquiesces quietly to the suggestion made to him.
The
most common form of this first method of Suggestion is seen in the very general
acquiescence to real or pretended "authority” on the part of the majority
of people. When such people hear a statement made positively and in a tone of
conviction by some person in authority, they accept the statement, and the
feelings arising from the accepted statement without resistance and without any
attempt to submit the matter to the exercise of their reason. And this is true
not only when the person speaking has really a right to speak authoritatively,
by virtue of his knowledge, experience, wisdom, etc., but also when some
pretender sets up an appearance of authority, and speaking in a positive style,
assuming the "Thus saith the Lord” manner, impresses his hearers with the
idea he wishes to suggest to them. And then the good folk meekly acquiesce
without question and allow their feelings to be aroused accordingly, for the
feelings are generally followed by actions in accord therewith.
It
is astonishing, from one point of view, to see how obedient to this form of
suggestion the masses of people are. They will allow their mental states,
feelings and emotion to be induced by the impudent statements, and claims of
cunning, shrewd and designing men, as well as by ignorant self-deluded
fanatics, who thus influence and sway them. These self-constituted authorities
utter their oracular statements and opinions in a tone of absolute certainty,
and the crowd takes them at their own valuation. It seems to be only necessary
for some positive man to attract the attention of the people and then make some
bold claim or statement, in the proper manner and tone, and with their
appearance of authority, and lo! some of the people, at least, fall into line.
Did
you ever think that people as a rule are "obedient animals?” Well, they
are, providing you can manage to impress them with your authority. It is much
easier for them to acquiesce than to refuse to do so. They find it easier to
say and think "Yes” rather than "No.” Their Will is not often called
into action by their reason and judgment, it being too often entirely under the
control of the feeling and emotional side of them.
There
is a fundamental law under this phase of suggestive action, and in order to
find it we must go back to the beginning of the race, perhaps farther. In the
earlier days among animals and men there were natural leaders who ruled by
force of might of body or mind. These natural leaders were implicitly obeyed by
the masses, who had learned by experience that it was better for the tribe, or
herd, as a whole, to be governed by their strongest and sharpest-witted
members. And so gradually this dominant idea of acquiescence and obedience to
authority developed and became a fixture in the race-mind. And it is firmly
planted in the mind of the race today, so much so that only the strongest minds
are able to free themselves from it to any great extent. It is authority here,
and authority there, in law, letters, religion, politics, and every other field
of human endeavor. People do not begin by asking themselves: "What do I
think about this matter?” but instead start off by saying: "What does
So-and-So think of it?” Their "So-and-So” is their authority, who does
their thinking for them, and they take their keynote from him or her. The
authority induces their mental states for them.
If
these leaders and authorities were really the wisest of the race it would not
matter so very much, although even then it might prevent the development of
individuality in the masses. But the worst feature is that the majority of
these "authorities” don't know, and know that they don't know, but the
people haven't found them out. They assume the manners, air, appearance, etc.,
of "the real thing,” and the people being accustomed to these symbols of
authority, and mistaking the imitation article for the real, are impressed by
the authoritative utterance and accept the suggestion.
This
fact is well known to the classes that prey upon the public. The
"confidence men” (in and out of the criminal class) assume this air of
authority, and their suggestions are accepted by the people. They are good
actors—that is one of the requisites of the suggestionist, and these
people understand the law. They proceed upon the theory accredited to Aaron
Burr—that remark, you may remember, was that "the law is that which is
boldly asserted and plausibly maintained.” And so these folk keep on
"boldly asserting,” and "plausibly maintaining,” and find that
"it generally goes.”
To
see a principle in its naked simplicity one should look for its operation in extreme
instances. And the extreme instance in this case is the hypnotic "subject”
who has surrendered his judgment entirely to the mind of the operator. The
"subject” will acquiesce in the most absurd suggestions from the operator
and proceed to carry them into effect. And suggestion, you know, is the active
factor in hypnotism, the hypnotic condition being only a psychological
condition in which the effect of suggestion is heightened.
But
one does not have to go to the ranks of the somnambules for striking illustrations,
for such are to be found in all walks of life among people who have no
individuality of their own, but who seem to live and act entirely upon the
"say so” of others. They have no quality of initiative, but must always be
told just what to do, and how to do it, by others. These people will accept
almost any kind of suggestion, if made by others in an authoritative tone and
manner. They do not have to be persuaded by argument, but are fairly driven and
ordered to do things by stronger-willed persons. They are impressionable and
"sensitive,” and seem to have no wills of their own. These people are very
suggestible, and every day's history records many startling cases of the effect
of suggestion through acquiescence on the part of such people.
The
key-note of this form of Suggestion is a positive statement or command, given
with the air and appearance of authority. The secret of the effect is the
tendency upon the part of the majority of people to acquiesce in an
authoritative statement or command, rather than to dispute it, and the tendency
toward thinking "Yes” rather than "No!”
This
form of suggestion is to be observed in the highest degree among those who have
always depended upon others for orders, or instruction, and who have not had to
"use their own wits” and resources in life. Unskilled laborers and the
sons of rich men belong to this class as a rule. These people seem to need
someone to do their thinking for them, even in the smallest events of their
lives, and are most suggestible along these lines. Then the degree of
suggestibility along these lines decreases as we ascend among people who have
had to "do things” for themselves, and who have not depended upon others
so much. It is the slightest among people who have had the ordering of others
to do, or who have had to depend upon their own wits in getting through
life—the men of marked degree of initiative have scarcely a trace of this form
of suggestibility. "Initiative,” you know, is a term for "doing
things without being told”— using one's own wits and resources—the true
"American Spirit” (which so many Americans lack).
The
degree of power in giving this form of suggestion depends materially upon the
development of Will on the part of the suggestor, and also upon his assumption
of the appearance, manners, air and tone of authority, the latter requisites
being the outward symbols. If one has the Will-Power strongly developed, the
symbols will appear of themselves as a natural consequence. But to those who
have not the developed Will-Power, and whose authority is more or less
"counterfeit,” the assumption of the outward symbols becomes a matter of
great importance, and these people devote much study to the cultivation of
these outward forms. And these "counterfeit” symbols—the art of the actor—serve
their purpose to impress and suggest to the crowd, and their assumers set up a
very brave front and obtain a very fair degree of success in the part they are
acting—that is, until they come in contact with a man of real Will-Power, when
they gracefully retire after the first clash of mentative swords.
To
those who are negative and who are too susceptible to this form of suggestion,
I advise the cultivation of Will-Power, which will be fully taught in the later
chapters of this book, entitled "Mental Architecture,” etc. Nothing but
the cultivation of the Will will render one positive and impervious to
suggestive influences of this sort.
The
second line of action of Mental Suggestion is that called: Suggestion
Through Imitation—This form of Mental Suggestion is very common—perhaps the
most common of all the forms. Man is essentially an imitative animal. He is
always copying the actions, appearances and ideas of others, thereby going to
prove his descent from the monkey-like ancestors, in whom this trait of
character was largely developed. Personally, I believe that those traits of
imitation may be traced back to the early days of the race, or before, when
animals and men were in a wild state, and exposed to constant danger of attack
of enemies. Then a motion of fright on the part of one would be communicated to
the others of the tribe, and gradually the trait of instinctive imitation was
developed, the traces of which are still strongly with the race, even to this
day. We may find instances of this trait all around us. When we watch a
tight-rope walker, our bodies instinctively sway in imitative motion. When we
watch the faces of actors on the stage, our own faces work in sympathy, more or
less. And so it goes on all around us, and in us—ever the tendency toward
imitation. Children manifest a great degree of this trait and copy and acquire
the mannerisms of those around to a surprising degree of detail. This
form of Mental Suggestion is very common. People are constantly taking up the
suggestion of the mental states, feelings, and emotions of those around them,
and reproducing them in their own acts. The majority of people are like human
sheep, who will follow a leader everywhere and along all sorts of paths. Let
the old bell-wether jump over a rail, and every sheep in the flock will do
likewise—and they will keep on jumping over the same place at the same height,
even if the rail be removed before the whole flock gets over. We are constantly
doing things simply because other people do them. We are constantly aping after
others. In our fashions, styles, forms, etc., we are servile imitators. Larry
Hehr shows a vest button hung by a thread and all the young apes in the land
follow suit. Funny! isn't it?
This
law of imitation plays an important part in the phenomena of Mental Suggestion
along these lines. Somebody does a certain thing and at once other people take
up the suggestion and copy the original actor. Let the newspaper record a
certain crime and many others of the same type follow closely after. Let there
be a suicide, and many others follow, usually adopting the same methods. Let
there be a number of cases of some kind of folly and dissipation, and
immediately there is "an epidemic” of the same thing.
Let
the papers say much about the appearance of a new disease, and at once a number
of people manifest symptoms of it. Diseases get to be quite the fashion in this
way. The feelings and emotions of the instinctive part of the mind are called
into sympathetic action along the lines of imitative suggestion, and physical
effects follow shortly after.
Shrewd
men take advantage of this tendency of the human mind, and, by getting a few
people interested in certain things, they manage to set the fashion, and the
crowd follows like sheep. Get people talking about a thing, and the contagion
spreads until everybody is interested in the matter. The majority of people are
more or less susceptible to this form of suggestion, the degree depending upon
their habit of thinking, judging and acting for themselves. The man or woman
who has ideas of his, or her, own, is not so apt to be impressed by every wave
of popular fashion, style and thought as those who maintain a more negative
attitude toward the minds of others. The method of curing an undue tendency
toward imitative action is to start in to build up your individuality, and to
develop positivity, along the lines mentioned in the concluding chapters of
this book.
The
third line of action of Mental Suggestion is:
Suggestion
Through Association—This form of Mental Suggestion is very
common. It is based upon the acquired impressions of the race, by which certain
words, actions, manners, tones, appearances, etc., are associated with certain
previously experienced mental states. Mental States take form in physical action
and expression, as we know. A man feeling in a certain way is apt to express
himself by certain actions or in certain words. These actions and words thus
become symbols of the mental state producing them, and consequently they
produce upon the mind of the person seeing or hearing them the mental image
connected with that mental state. And this mental image is calculated to induce
a similar or corresponding state in the mind of the person seeing and hearing.
So that these symbols are really Mental Suggestions, since they tend to induce
mental states.
I
wish to remind you that every written, printed or spoken word, or words, is the
outward and physical expression of some inner mental state of the person
uttering or writing the words. The words are the "outward and visible
signs” of an "inward feeling”—remember this always. Mere words, in
themselves, have no suggestive value—the value depends upon the meaning
impressed upon them by the mind of the person using them accompanied by an
understanding of their meaning by the person hearing or reading them. The word
"horror,” for instance, or "uncanny,” has a definite meaning to
persons familiar with it. It bears a direct relation to a mental feeling, or
emotion, and is the physical and outward expression of the same. One may say
the word over and over again to a person who has never heard it, or to one of
another race who does not understand the term, and no suggestive effect
follows. But speak the word to one who is accustomed to connect and associate
it with a definite feeling that they have experienced, and the feeling will be
produced, or "induced,” if the circumstances of the use of the word be
favorable. The word "love,” used properly, will awake in the mind of its
hearers feelings corresponding with the term. And these feelings must have been
experienced before, either directly or indirectly, before they may be induced
by suggestion. Feelings experienced by one's ancestors leave a record in one's
subconscious mentality, which may also be induced by the appropriate
suggestion.
Personally,
words seem to me to be like the wax record of a phonograph. The record is
covered with minute impressions produced by the sound-waves entering the
phonograph. Place this record in its place in the phonograph and start the
latter in motion and lo! the minute impressions on the record will reproduce or
"induce” in the diaphragm the same kind of sound-waves that originally
caused the impressions. In this way a word, which is the physical symbolic
record of feeling, will produce its associated feeling in the mind of the
person hearing or reading it.
And,
as I have said, the feeling produced will depend largely upon the understanding
of the meaning of the word held by the person receiving the impression. For
instance, in the case of the word "love,” let us suppose that the term is
strongly and feelingly suggested to a number of persons at the same time, and
in the same way. You will find that the feeling induced in the one person will
be that of love of parents; in another love of children; in another love of
husband or wife; in another love of God; in another an exalted affection for
some person of the opposite sex; in another the low animal passion for one of
the other sex; and so on, each experiencing a feeling occasioned by his or her
association of the word with some feeling previously entertained. The same word
may induce a feeling of the greatest pleasure in one person, and the greatest
horror or disgust in another—the difference depending upon the association of
the word in the mind of the two persons.
I
have dwelt upon these facts in order to make clear to you that there is no
magic power in words in themselves, and that all their force and effect depends
upon the associated feeling of which they are the crystallized physical and outward
former symbol. The word is the body—the feeling is its soul.
And
so it is with the suggestion of appearance, manner, surrounding, etc. Each of
these depends for force and effect upon some accustomed association with some
inner feeling, which feeling is reproduced or induced by the outward symbol of
the thing. We associate certain things with certain feelings, and when we see
these things we are apt to experience the feeling indicated. People have been
overcome by the sight of a picture, or a scene in a play—a song—a poem—or
suggestive music.
And
here is where the art of the suggestionist comes into play. He watches
closely and discovers that certain words, tones, manners, appearances, actions,
motions, etc., are associated in the minds of people with certain feelings and
ideas. And so when he wishes to reproduce, produce, or induce in others these
ideas or feelings, he simply reproduces the associated physical symbols, in
words, manner, motion, or appearance, and the effect is produced. The conjurer
makes certain motions with his hands which you have always associated with
certain actions, and you feel that the action itself has been performed— but
the conjurer omits the action, and you are fooled. The "confidence man”
assumes the appearance, manners and actions which you have always associated
with certain qualities of character and you feel that he is what he seems to
be—but he isn't, and you are fooled. This "play-acting” of people is all a
form of suggestion, and you are fooled because you accept the symbol for the
reality, unless you understand the game. The actor assumes the actions, tones,
dress and words of certain characters, and if he is a good actor you forget the
reality and laugh and weep, and otherwise feel that what you see is reality, although
you really know underneath it all that it is only a play. And all this is
mental suggestion remember.
Remember,
now and always, that a mental suggestion operates by the presentation of the
outward symbol associated with the feeling to be induced. Put the right record
in the phonograph and the corresponding sound is produced or induced. Do you
see? This law underlies all the phenomena of Mental Suggestion—understand the
law of suggestion and you have the master-key to the phenomena.
Oratory,
and other forms of appeal to the feeling by spoken words, gives us a typical
example of the operation of this form of Mental Suggestion. The orator; the
lawyer; the preacher; each uses words calculated to induce mental states,
feelings and emotions, in the minds of his hearers. Such a one soon begins to
learn the suggestive value of words, tones, and expression. He avoids the use
of cold, abstract words, and drifts into the use of those which are symbols for
deep feeling and emotion, knowing that these word symbols uttered with the
proper tone and expression will induce the feelings for which they stand in the
minds of the hearers. The hearers' emotions and feelings are played upon, in
this way, like an instrument. The emotion or passion, whether it be love, fear,
hate, greed, patriotism, courage, jealousy, sympathy, etc., etc., is awakened
by the skillful use of the words, tones, and expression which stand as symbols
for these feelings.
If
you will remember how you were touched by an address that afterward seemed to you
to be hyperbolic and flamboyant—without argument, proof or sense—then you will
realize how you were made the subject of Mental Suggestion through association.
The skillful salesman operates upon you in the same way. So does his twin
brother, the advertising man. The revivalist has this art reduced to a perfect
science.
Words—words—words—inciters
to action; inducers of feeling; symbol of mental states and reproducers of
mental states—despise them not; sneer not at them, for they have brought down
low the mightiest of minds, when properly used. Even when written, their
potency is great. Countries have often been made captive by a clever phrase,
which when analyzed meant nothing in reason—merely an awakener of feeling. Let
me make the catch-phrases of a country, and I care not who makes its laws!
The
man best adapted to employ this form of suggestion is he who is more or less of
an actor—that is, who possesses the faculty of throwing "expression” and
"feeling” into words, actions and manner. Good orators, pleaders,
salesmen, and others have this faculty largely developed. It belongs to the
feminine side of the phenomena, for it has the "charming,” drawing,
leading aspect, and works by the employment of the emotive-pole of mentation,
rather the Will or motive pole, as in the case of the first mentioned phase of
suggestion—that of authoritative statement or command. It operates not by
beating down the Will of the other person, but rather by inducing a sympathetic
rhythm of feeling and emotion, which overpowers his own Will, and causes it to
act accordingly.
One
should ever be on guard against this kind of influence. The best way to escape
it, is to adopt the policy of never acting immediately in response to an appeal
of this kind. Rather wait until the effect has worn off, and then submit the
matter to the consideration of your reason and judgment. Of course, the
cultivation of Will-Power will act as a shield or armor, protecting you from
the subtle vibrations of this kind, for this form of suggestion is usually accompanied
by strong mentative currents from the mind of the speaker. Fence yourself off
from a too ready response to sympathetic appeals along the emotional lines. Let
the head stand by the heart, ready to prevent its running away with you.
Men
should have the reason in the ascendant, not the emotional nature. When you
feel yourself being carried off of your feet, by some emotional excitement,
steady yourself and ask your mind this question: is this a mental
suggestion?" The question will tend to bring you to your state of
equilibrium. When you know what a Mental Suggestion is, then you wilt learn to
recognize them, and be on the lookout for them. This state of mind will act as
a strong neutralizing agent for the most skillfully put suggestion. Have your torpedo
nets out, no matter how secure you may imagine yourself to be. One caution
more—be especially cautious and slow to accept a suggestion when you are
worn-out, tired, or in a passive, pleasurable state—that is, whenever your Will
is resting; or else exhausted. On these occasions, "when in doubt, say
No!” You will save yourself much regret by remembering this bit of advice. It
is based on a proven psychological law. I have learned this law by bitter
personal experience. Remember it! Let us consider the fourth line of action of
Mental Suggestion:
Suggestion
Through Repetition—This form of Mental Suggestion is quite
common, and the study of its manifestations is quite interesting, for it brings
into operation a well known psychological principle, which has its
correspondences in the physical world—"constant dripping will wear away
the hardest stone.”
You
know the story of the man who told his favorite lie so often that he believed
it himself! Well this is a psychological fact. People have started in to make a
certain appearance of truth, in words, or manner, by assuming something to be
true that was not so. Then they kept on repeating the thing, adding a little
here, and a little there, until the thing got to be "a fixed idea” with
them, and they actually believe it. And if a person can suggest himself into
accepting a false belief in this way, you can see how it will operate on
others.
The
secret of the operation of this form of suggestion lies in the psychological
facts of weakened resistance through repetition of the "attack,” and the
"force of habit.” The first time an unaccustomed suggestion is made, the
mind sets up an active resistance; but the next time it is presented, the
suggestion is not quite so unfamiliar as before, and a lessened resistance is set
up; and so on, until at last no resistance is interposed, and the Suggestion is
accepted. You know the old verse:
"Vice
is a monster of so frightful mien,
That,
to be hated, needs but to be seen.
But
seen too oft, familiar with her face,
We
first endure, then pity, then embrace.”
And
this rule holds good with suggestions. We first resist them; then endure them;
then accept them—unless we understand the law.
The
psychological fact involved in this form of suggestion is that impressions upon
brain-cells become deepened by constant repetition. It is like sinking a die
into a cake of wax—it goes deeper at each pressure. The mind is very apt to
accept as true anything that it finds deeply impressed upon its records. It has
become accustomed to finding these deep impressions only when they have been
made by repeated efforts of its own intellect, or judgment, or experience, and
so when it finds these deep impressions that have been placed there by repeated
Suggestions of others it is not apt to discriminate. It finds itself
"feeling” these things that have been repeatedly impressed upon it. Like
the cuckoo's egg in the robin's nest, these illegitimate mental impressions are
nurtured as one's "very own.”
There
is a constant struggle for existence upon the part of the ideas, or mental
images impressed upon me. The strong crowd out the weak. And in the majority of
cases, the strongest ones are those which have either been impressed in a vivid
manner, or else by repetition. The second time you meet a man, you may have
trouble in remembering him; but the third time it is easier; and so on, until
at last you forget that he ever was a stranger. And so it is with these
suggested ideas—you grow familiar with them through repetition; they lose their
strangeness to you; and at last you cease to concern yourself about them. A
strange thing is generally inspected, examined, viewed suspiciously, etc., but
after the strangeness has worn off you cease to exercise the former caution.
"Familiarity breeds contempt.” and also lack of caution. Suggestion gains
force by each repetition. This is one of the fundamental laws of suggestion,
and one that all should remember.
If
you would take mental stock of yourself you would find that you entertain a
vast number of feelings, ideas and opinions, which you possess simply through
this law of repeated suggestion. You have heard certain things affirmed, over
and over again, until you have come to accept them as veritable facts,
notwithstanding that you possess not the slightest personal knowledge of any
logical proof, concerning them. Shrewd moulders of public opinion employ this
law, and constantly repeat a certain thing, in varying words and style, until
at last the public accepts it as a proven and unquestioned fact.
Many
a man has gained a reputation for wisdom, merely because his friends repeatedly
affirmed it, and the public accepted the suggestion. Many a statesman has had a
reputation built up for him by friendly newspaper correspondents, whose
constantly repeated suggestions have caused the idea to crystallize into a
material form in the public mind. And many a reputation has been destroyed by
the repeated shrugs, sneers, and insinuations of gossips and evil-wishers.
Advertisers
understand this law, and keep the repeated suggestion of the merit of their
wares constantly before the public mind, until it becomes gospel with the
people. "If at first you don't succeed,” and "Never take No! for an
answer,” are two axioms very dear to the heart of the man who uses suggestion
"in his business.”
Do
not be deceived by this subtle form of suggestion. Do not imagine that an
untrue thing becomes true because it is repeated often. Do not allow your
judgment to be lulled to sleep by this drowsy repetition of the slumber-song.
Keep awake— keep awake! An understanding of this law of suggestion will throw
light on many things that have puzzled you heretofore. Think over it a bit,
when you have time.
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