Exercise 4:  This is a variation of the second exercise.  It is practiced by sending to a person seated in front of you in a public place the command to look to the right, or to the left, as you prefer.  Do not practice on the same person too long, after succeeding at first—­it is not right to torment people, remember.

Exercise 5:  After having attained proficiency in the foregoing exercises, you many proceed to command a person to perform certain unimportant motions, such as rising or sitting down, taking off his hat, taking out his handkerchief, laying down a fan, umbrella, etc.

Exercise 6:  The next step is to command persons to say some particular word having no important meaning; to “put words in his mouth” while talking to him.  Wait until the other person pauses as if in search of a word, and then suddenly, sharply and forcibly put the word into his mouth, silently of course.  In a very susceptible person, well under your psychic control, you may succeed in suggesting entire sentences and phrases to him.

Exercise 7:  This is the summit of psychic influencing, and, of course, is the most difficult.  But you will be surprised to see how well you will succeed in many cases, after you have acquired the knack and habit of sending the psychic message.  It consists of commanding the person to obey the spoken command or request that you are about to make to him.  This is the art and secret of the success of many salesmen, solicitors, and others working along the lines of influencing other people.  It is acquired by beginning with small things, and gradually proceeding to greater, and still greater.  At this point I should warn you that all the best occult teachings warn students against using this power for base ends, improper purposes, etc.  Such practices tend to react and rebound against the person using them, like a boomerang.  Beware against using psychic or occult forces for improper purposes—­the psychic laws punish the offender, just as do the physical laws.

Finally, I caution the student against talking too much about his developing powers.  Beware of boasting or bragging about these things.  Keep silent, and keep your own counsel.  When you make known your powers, you set into operation the adverse and antagonistic thought of persons around you who may be jealous of you, and who would wish to see you fail, or make yourself ridiculous.  The wise head keepeth a still tongue!  One of the oldest occult maxims is:  “Learn!  Dare!  Do!  Keep Silent!!!” You will do well to adhere strictly to this warning caution.

LESSON XVIII.

PSYCHIC INFLUENCE AT A DISTANCE

The second phase of Psychic Influence is that called Distant Psychic Influence, in which psychic induction is manifested when the persons are distant in space from one another—­not in the presence of each other.  Here, of course, we see the principle of telepathy involved in connection with the process of mental induction:  and in some cases even the astral telepathic sense is called into operation.