Self Mastery Through Conscious Autosuggestion quotes

Suggestion, or rather Autosuggestion, is quite a new subject, and yet at the same time it is as old as the world.

It is new in the sense that until now it has been wrongly studied and in consequence wrongly understood; it is old because it dates from the appearance of man on the earth.

In fact autosuggestion is an instrument that we possess at birth, and in this instrument, or rather in this force, resides a marvelous and incalculable power, which according to circumstances produces the best or the worst results.

THE CONSCIOUS SELF AND THE UNCONSCIOUS SELF

In order to understand properly the phenomena of suggestion, or to speak more correctly of autosuggestion, it is necessary to know that two absolutely distinct selves exist within us.

Both are intelligent, but while one is conscious the other is unconscious. For this reason the existence of the latter generally escapes notice.

If we open a dictionary and look up the word "will", we find this definition: "The faculty of freely determining certain acts". We accept this definition as true and unattackable, although nothing could be more false.

This will that we claim so proudly, always yields to the imagination.

It is an absolute rule that admits of no exception.

Notice that your will is powerless to make you advance; if you imagine that you cannot, it is absolutely impossible for you to do so. If tilers and carpenters are able to accomplish this feat, it is because they think they can do it.

Vertigo is entirely caused by the picture we make in our minds that we are going to fall.

This picture transforms itself immediately into fact in spite of all the efforts of our will, and the more violent these efforts are, the quicker is the opposite to the desired result brought about.

You went along clutching the handle bars and frightened of falling. Suddenly catching sight of the smallest obstacle in the road you tried to avoid it, and the more efforts you made to do so, the more surely you rushed upon it.

Who has not suffered from an attack of uncontrollable laughter, which bursts out more violently the more one tries to control it?

What was the state of mind of each person in these different circumstances? "I do not want to fall but I cannot help doing so"; "I want to sleep but I cannot"; "I want to remember the name of Mrs.

"I want to sleep but I cannot"; "I want to remember the name of Mrs. So and So, but I cannot"; "I want to avoid the obstacle, but I cannot"; "I want to stop laughing, but I cannot."

As you see, in each of these conflicts it is always the imagination which gains the victory over the will, without any exception.

To the same order of ideas belongs the case of the leader who rushes forward at the head of his troops and always carries them along with him, while the cry "Each man for himself!" is almost certain to cause a defeat. Why is this?

… of example, that is to say the action of the imagination, when, to avenge himself upon a merchant on board the same boat, he bought his biggest sheep and threw it into the sea, certain beforehand that the entire flock would follow, which indeed happened.

We human beings have a certain resemblance to sheep, and involuntarily, we are irresistibly impelled to follow other people's examples, imagining that we cannot do otherwise.

I could quote a thousand other examples but I should fear to bore you by such an enumeration.

And the drunkard and the criminal speak the truth; they are forced to do what they do, for the simple reason they imagine they cannot prevent themselves from doing so.

Thus we who are so proud of our will, who believe that we are free to act as we like, are in reality nothing but wretched puppets of which our imagination holds all the strings.

We only cease to be puppets when we have learned to guide our imagination.

The influence of the imagination upon the moral and physical being of mankind. Now this influence is undeniable, and without returning to previous examples, I will quote a few others.

If you persuade yourself that you can do a certain thing, provided this thing be possible, you will do it however difficult it may be. If on the contrary you imagine that you cannot do the simplest thing in the world, it is impossible for you to do it, and molehills become for you unscalable mountains.

Such is the case of neurasthenics, who, believing themselves incapable of the least effort, often find it impossible even to walk a few steps without being exhausted.

Autosuggestion is, as I said above, an instrument that we possess at birth, and with which we play unconsciously all our life, as a baby plays with its rattle.

It is however a dangerous instrument; it can wound or even kill you if you handle it imprudently and unconsciously.

It can on the contrary save your life when you know how to employ it consciously. One can say of it as Aesop said of the tongue: "It is at the same time the best and the worst thing in the world".

It is however a dangerous instrument; it can wound or even kill you if you handle it imprudently and unconsciously. It can on the contrary save your life when you know how to employ it consciously.

One can say of it as Aesop said of the tongue: "It is at the same time the best and the worst thing in the world".

I am now going to show you how everyone can profit by the beneficent action of autosuggestion consciously applied. In saying "every one", I exaggerate a little, for there are two classes of persons in whom it is difficult to arouse conscious autosuggestion:

The principle of the method may be summed up in these few words:

It is impossible to think of two things at once, that is to say that two ideas may be in juxtaposition, but they cannot be superimposed in our mind.

Every thought entirely filling our mind becomes true for us and tends to transform itself into action.

The principle of the method may be summed up in these few words: It is impossible to think of two things at once, that is to say that two ideas may be in juxtaposition, but they cannot be superimposed in our mind.

Every thought entirely filling our mind becomes true for us and tends to transform itself into action.

Thus if you can make a sick person think that her trouble is getting better, it will disappear; if you succeed in making a kleptomaniac think that he will not steal any more, he will cease to steal, etc., etc.

taken down literally by Mme. Emile Leon, his disciple.

Do not spend your time in thinking of illness you might have, for if you have no real ones you will create artificial ones.

When you make conscious autosuggestions, do it naturally, simply, with conviction, and above all without any effort. If unconscious and bad autosuggestions are so often realized, it is because they are made without effort.

It is not in me but in yourself that you must have confidence, for it is in yourself alone that dwells the force which can cure you. My part simply consists in teaching you to make use of that force.

Never discuss things you know nothing about, or you will only make yourself ridiculous.

Things which seem miraculous to you have a perfectly natural cause; if they seem extraordinary it is only because the cause escapes you. When you know that, you realize that nothing could be more natural.

Never discuss things you know nothing about, or you will only make yourself ridiculous.

Things which seem miraculous to you have a perfectly natural cause; if they seem extraordinary it is only because the cause escapes you.

When you know that, you realize that nothing could be more natural.

Things which seem miraculous to you have a perfectly natural cause; if they seem extraordinary it is only because the cause escapes you. When you know that, you realize that nothing could be more natural.

When the will and the imagination are in conflict, it is always the imagination which wins.

Such a case is only too frequent, and then not only do we not do what we want, but just the contrary of what we want. For example:

It is then the imagination and not the will which is the most important faculty of man; and thus it is a serious mistake to advise people to train their wills, it is the training of their imaginations which they ought to set about.

Things are not for us what they are, but what they seem; this explains the contradictory evidence of persons speaking in all good faith.

By believing oneself to be the master of one's thoughts one becomes so.

Everyone of our thoughts, good or bad, becomes concrete, materializes, and becomes in short a reality.

We are what we make ourselves and not what circumstances make us.

Whoever starts off in life with the idea: "I shall succeed", always does succeed because he does what is necessary to bring about this result.

And if he brings about circumstances, they are generally unfavorable ones.

Do not then blame fate, you have only yourself to blame.

People are always preaching the doctrine of effort, but this idea must be repudiated. Effort means will, and will means the possible entrance of the imagination in opposition, and the bringing about of the exactly contrary result to the desired one.

People are always preaching the doctrine of effort, but this idea must be repudiated. Effort means will, and will means the possible entrance of the imagination in opposition, and the bringing about of the exactly contrary result to the desired one.

Always think that what you have to do is easy, if possible.

In this state of mind you will not spend more of your strength than just what is necessary; if you consider it difficult, you will spend ten, twenty times more strength than you need; in other words you will waste it.

Contrary to common opinion, physical diseases are generally far more easily cured than mental ones.

Buffon used to say: "Style is the man." We would put in that: "Man is what he thinks".

The fear of failure is almost certain to cause failure, in the same way as the idea of success brings success, and enables one always to surmount the obstacles that may be met with.

You must answer their questions pleasantly, instead of checking them with--"What a bother you are, do be quiet, you will learn that later."

Never on any account say to a child, "You are lazy and good for nothing" because that gives birth in him to the very faults of which you accuse him.

If a child is lazy and does his tasks badly, you should say to him one day, even if it is not true, "There this time your work is much better than it generally is. Well done".

"Well, Madame, and what is your trouble? . . ."

Oh, you are looking for two many whys and wherefores; what does the cause of your pain matter to you?

You are in pain, that is enough . . . I will teach you to get rid of that. . . .

Oh, Madame not so many details, I beg you!

By looking out for the details you create them, and you would want a list a yard long to contain all your maladies.

As a matter of fact, with you it is the mental outlook which is wrong. Well, make up your mind that it is going to get better and it will be so. It's as simple as the Gospel. . . .

This obsession must be a real nightmare. The people you used to detest are becoming your friends, you like them and they like you.

Ah, but to will and to desire is not the same thing.

Then, after having asked them to close their eyes, M. Coué gives to his patients the little suggestive discourse which is to be found in "Self Mastery."

Now, thanks to you, I need no remedies at all, but I do not forget to repeat 20 times morning and evening, the phrase you taught me:

"Every day, in every respect, I am getting better and better."

B. P----, Paris, October, 1920.

Four doctors, two of them specialists, had pronounced the sentence which would be enough, of itself alone, to increase the trouble by its fatal influence on the mind: "Nothing to be done!"

This "nothing to be done" had been for me the worst of autosuggestions.

In possession of the formula: "Every day, in every respect . .

Answer.--

Do not be afraid to think of it; on the contrary, do think of it, but to say to it, "I am not afraid of you."

If you go anywhere and a dog rushes at you barking, look it firmly in the eyes and it will not bite you; but if you fear it, if you turn back, he will soon have his teeth in your legs.

Answer.--Do not be afraid to think of it; on the contrary, do think of it, but to say to it, "I am not afraid of you."

If you go anywhere and a dog rushes at you barking, look it firmly in the eyes and it will not bite you; but if you fear it, if you turn back, he will soon have his teeth in your legs.

Question.--And if one does a retreat?

If you go anywhere and a dog rushes at you barking, look it firmly in the eyes and it will not bite you; but if you fear it, if you turn back, he will soon have his teeth in your legs.

Question.--And if one does a retreat?

Question.--How can we realize what we desire?

Answer.--By often repeating what you desire: "I am gaining assurance," and you will do so; "My memory is improving," and it really does so; "I am becoming absolutely master of myself," and you find that you are becoming so.

If you say the contrary, it is the contrary which will come about.

What you say persistently and very quickly comes to pass (within the domain of the reasonable, of course).