you can actually see the thing as you wish it to happen, even to the general details, the stronger will be the attractive force thereof.  But, I shall leave the discussion of this phase of the subject until I reach it in its proper order.  For the present, I shall content myself with urging upon you the importance of a clear mental image, or visualized thought, in the matter of giving force and direction to the idea induced in the minds of other persons.  In order for the other persons to actually perceive clearly the idea or feeling induced in them, it is necessary that the idea or feeling be strongly visualized in the mind originating it; that is the whole thing in one sentence.

The next point of importance in thought-influence by induction, is that which is concerned with the process of concentration.  Concentration is the act of mental focusing, or bringing to a single point or centre.  It is like the work of the sun-glass that converges the rays of the sun to a single tiny point, thus immensely increasing its heat and power.  Or, it is like the fine point of a needle that will force its way through where a blunt thing cannot penetrate.  Or, it is like the strongly concentrated essence of a chemical substance, of which one drop is as powerful as one pint of the original thing.  Think of the concentrated power of a tiny drop of attar of roses—­it has within its tiny space the concentrated odor of thousands of roses; one drop of it will make a pint of extract, and a gallon of weaker perfumery!  Think of the concentrated power in a lightning flash, as contrasted with the same amount of electricity diffused over a large area.  Or, think of the harmless flash of a small amount of gunpowder ignited in the open air, as contrasted with the ignition of the same amount of powder compelled to escape through the small opening in the gun-barrel.

The occult teachings lay great stress upon this power of mental concentration.  All students of the occult devote much time and care to the cultivation of the powers of concentration, and the development of the ability to employ them.  The average person possesses but a very small amount of concentration, and is able to concentrate his mind for but a few moments at a time.  The trained thinker obtains much of his mental power from his acquired ability to concentrate on his task.  The occultist trains himself in fixing his concentrated attention upon the matter before him, so as to bring to a focal centre all of his mental forces.

The mind is a very restless thing, and is inclined to dance from one thing to another, tiring of each thing after a few moment’s consideration thereof.  The average person allows his involuntary attention to rest upon every trifling thing, and to be distracted by the idlest appeals to the senses.  He finds it most difficult to either shut out these distracting appeals to the senses, and equally hard to hold the attention to some uninteresting thing.  His attention is almost free of control by the will, and the person is a slave to his perceptive powers and to his imagination, instead of, being a master of both.