To master difficult meanings.  It has often befallen me, when I was at the University, or later when studying law, to exert my mind to grasp, and all in vain, some problem in mathematics or a puzzling legal question, or even to remember some refractory word in a foreign language which would not remain in the memory.  After a certain amount of effort in many of these cases, further exertion is injurious, the mind or receptive power seems to be seized—­as if nauseated—­with spasmodic rejections.  In such a case pass the question by, but on going to bed, think it over and will to understand it on the morrow.  It will often suffice to merely desire that it shall recur in more intelligible form—­in which case, nota bene—­if let alone it will obey.  This is as if we had a call to make tomorrow, when, as we know, the memory will come at its right time of itself, especially if we employ Forethought or special pressure.

When I reflect on what I once endured from this cause, and how greatly it could have been relieved or alleviated, I feel as if I could beg, with all my heart, every student or teacher of youth to seriously experiment on what I set forth in this book.  It is also to be observed, especially by metaphysicians and mental philosophers, that a youth who has shown great indifference to, let us say mathematics, if he has manifested an aptitude for philosophy or languages, will be in all cases certain to excel in the former, if he can be brought to make a good beginning in it.  A great many cases of bad, i. e., indifferent scholarship, are due to bad teaching of the rudiments by adults who took no interest in their pupils, and therefore inspired none.

To determine what course to follow in any Emergency.  Many a man often wishes with all his heart that he had some wise friend to consult in his perplexities.  What to do in a business trouble when we are certain that there is an exit if we could only find it—­a sure way to tame an unruly horse if we had the secret—­to do or not to do whate’er the question—­truly all this causes great trouble in life.  But, it is within the power of man to be his own friend, yes, and companion, to a degree of which none have ever dreamed, and which borders on the weird, or that which forebodes or suggests mysteries to come.  For it may come to pass that he who has trained himself to it, may commune with his spirit as with a companion.

This is, of course, done by just setting the problem, or question, or dilemma, before ourselves as clearly as we can, so as to know our own minds as well as possible.  This done, sleep on it, with the resolute will to have it recur on the morrow in a clear and solved form.  And should this occur, do not proceed to pull it to pieces again, by way of improvement, but rather submit it to another night’s rest.  I would here say that many lawyers and judges are perfectly familiar with this process, and use it habitually, without being aware of its connection with hypnotism or will.  But they could aid it, if they would add this peculiar impulse to the action.