Well, that is just what we are trying to introduce to you.  A clan of mental brownies, loving and kindly disposed toward you, who are anxious and willing to help you in your work.  All you have to do is to give them the proper materials, and tell then what you want done, and they will do the rest.  But these mental brownies are a part of your own mentality, remember, and no alien and foreign entities, as some have imagined.

A number of people who have accidentally discovered this power of the sub-conscious mind to work out problems, and to render other valuable service to its owner, have been led to suppose that the aid really came from some other entity or intelligence.  Some have thought that the messages came from friends in the spirit land, and others have believed that some high intelligence—­God or his angels—­was working in their behalf.  Without discussing spirit communication, or Divine messages, in both of which we believe (with certain provisional reservations) we feel justified in saying that the majority of cases of this kind may be referred to the sub-conscious workings of one’s own mentality.

Each of us has “a friend” in our own mind—­a score of them in fact, who delight in performing services for us, if we will but allow them to do so.  Not only have we a Higher Self to whom we may turn for comfort and aid in times of deep distress and necessity, but we have these invisible mental workers on the sub-conscious plane, who are very willing and glad to perform much of our mental work for us, if we will but give them the material in proper shape.

It is very difficult to impart specific directions for obtaining these results, as each case must depend to a great extent upon the peculiar circumstances surrounding it.  But we may say that the main thing needed is to “lick into shape” the material, and then pass it on to the sub-conscious mind in the manner spoken of a few moments ago.  Let us run over a few cases wherein this principle may be applied.

Let us suppose that you are confronted with a problem consisting of an uncertainty as to which of two or more courses to adopt in some affair of life.  Each course seems to have advantages and disadvantages, and you seem unable to pass upon the matter clearly and intelligently.  The more you try the more perplexed and worried do you become.  Your mind seems to tire of the matter, and manifests a state which may be called “mental nausea.”  This state will be apparent to any one who has had much “thinking” to do.  The average person, however, persists in going over the matter, notwithstanding the tired condition of the mind, and its evident distaste for a further consideration of the subject.  They will keep on forcing it back to the mind for consideration, and even at night time will keep thrashing away at the subject.  Now this course is absurd.  The mind recognizes that the work should be done by another part of itself—­its digestive region, in fact—­and naturally rebels at the finishing-up machinery being employed in work unsuited for it.