“Hypnotism,” says Dr. JAMES R. COCKE, “can be used to train the attention of persons habitually inattentive.”  But, in fact, forethinking in any way is the minor or initiatory stage of Suggestion.  Both are gradual persuasion of the nervous system into habit.

And on this text a marvelous sermon could be preached, which, if understood, would sink deeply into every heart, inspiring some while alarming others, but greatly cheering the brave.  And it is this.  There are millions of people who suffer from irritability, want of self-control, loquacity, evil in many forms, or nerves, who would fain control themselves and stop it all.  Moralists think that for this it is enough to convince their reason.  But this rarely avails.  A man may know that he is wrong, yet not be able to reform.  Now, what he wants is to have his attention fixed long enough to form a new habit.  Find out how this can be done, and it may in many cases be the simplest and most mechanical thing in the world to cure him.  Men have been frightened by a scarecrow into thorough repentance.  “A question of a few vibrations of ether, more or less, makes for us all the difference between perception and non-perception,” or between sight and blindness.  Accustom any such moral invalid to being Suggested or willed a few times into a calm, self-controlled state and the habit may be formed.

And to those who doubt, and perhaps would sneer, I have only to say try it.  It will do them good.

CHAPTER II.

SELF-SUGGESTION.

    “In thy soul, as in a sleep,
    Gods or fiends are hidden deep,
    Awful forms of mystery,
    And spirits, all unknown to thee: 
    Guard with prayer, and heed with care,
    Ere thou wak’st them from their lair!”

The records of the human race, however written, show that Man has always regarded himself as possessed of latent faculties, or capacities of a mysterious or extraordinary nature:  that is to say, transcending in scope or power anything within the range of ordinary conscious mental capacity.  Such for example is the Dream, in which there occurs such a mingling of madness with mysterious intuitions or memories that it is no wonder it has always been regarded as allied to supernatural intelligence.  And almost as general as the faith in dreams as being weird (in the true sense of the much-abused word) or “strangely prophetic,” is that in fascination, or that one human being can exercise over another by a mystic will and power a strong influence, even to the making the patient do whatever the actor or superior requires.