LESSON XVII.

PERSONAL PSYCHIC INFLUENCE OVER OTHERS

Psychic Influence, as the term is used in this book, may be said to be divided into three general classes, viz., (1) Personal Influence, in which the mind of another is directly influenced by induction while he is in the presence of the person influencing; (2) Distant Influencing, in which the psychic induction is directly manifested when the persons concerned are distant from one another; and (3) Indirect Influence, in which the induction is manifested in the minds of various persons coming in contact with the thought vibrations of the person manifesting them, though no attempt is made to directly influence any particular person.  I shall now present each of these three forms of psychic influence to you for consideration, one after the other in the above order.

Personal Influence, as above defined, ranges from cases in which the strongest control (generally known as hypnotism) is manifested, down to the cases in which merely a slight influence is exerted.  But the general principle underlying all of these cases is precisely the same.  The great characters of history, such as Alexander the Great, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Julius Caesar, manifested this power to a great degree, and were able to sway men according to their will.  All great leaders of men have this power strongly manifested, else they would not be able to influence the minds of men.  Great orators, preachers, statesmen, and others of this class, likewise manifest the power strongly.  In fact, the very sign of ability to influence and manage other persons is evidence of the possession and manifestation of this mighty power.

In developing this power to influence others directly and personally, you should begin by impressing upon your mind the principles stated in the preceding chapter, namely (1) Strong Desire; (2) Clear Visualization; and (3) Concentration.

You must begin by encouraging a strong desire in your mind to be a positive individual; to exert and manifest a positive influence over others with whom you come in contact, and especially over those whom you wish to influence in some particular manner or direction.  You must let the fire of desire burn fiercely within you, until it becomes as strong as physical hunger or thirst.  You must “want to” as you want to breathe, to live.  You will find that the men who accomplish the great things in life are those who have strong desire burning in their bosoms.  There is a strong radiative and inductive power in strong desire and wish—­in fact, some have thought this the main feature of what we generally call strong will-power.