The Psychology of Suggestion by Boris Sidis (w/an Intro by William James) D. Appleton & Co New York, NY 1898 "By Suggestion is meant the intrusion into the mind of an idea; met with more or less opposition by the person; accepted uncritically at last; and realized unreflectively, almost automatically. By suggestibility is meant that peculiar state of mind which is favourable to Suggestion." [15] Last impression (the most recent suggestion) and frequency (repetition, but saying the same thing differently) are the most important. Simple repetition (doing or saying the same thing over & over) is too easy for the Conscious Mind to oppose. Erickson's confusion technique is based on the last impression. [If interruption, then give a direct suggestion.] Rules of Normal Suggestibility: (Giving suggestions in the Waking State.) 1. Fixation of Attention 2. Distraction of Attention 3. Monotony (Guard against variety of impressions 4. Limitation of Voluntary Movements 5. Limitation of field of consciousness 6. Inhibition 7. Immediate execution Normal suggestibility varies as Indirect Suggestion, and inversely as Direct Suggestion. Rules of Suggestibility in Trance: (Giving suggestions in the Trance State.) 1. Fixation of Attention 2. Monotony (Guard against variety of impressions) 3. Limitation of Voluntary Movements 4. Limitation of field of consciousness 5. Inhibition The rule of Hypnotic Suggestion is; The more direct we make our suggestion the greater the chance of its success. In giving the suggestion to the patient, make your language plain, precise, and direct to the point. Bernheim: Suggestive Therapeutics "The [Unconscious Mind of the]* ordinary sleeper is in relation with himself only, as soon as his consciousness is lost... The hypnotized subject falls asleep with his [Unconscious Mind's] thought fixed in relationship with the hypnotizer; hence the possibility of the suggestion of dreams, ideas and acts, by this foreign will." * Material in brackets added for understandability. The following adapted from Mental Therapeutics by Theron Q. Dumont L. N. Fowler & Co. London 1913 --------------------------------------- LAWS OF SUGGESTION: Definition of Suggestion: An indirect or guarded mode of presenting an idea, especially an argument or piece of advice. It is distinguished from argument, or logical proof, by the absence of formal evidence. A suggestion is usually merely an idea which seems plausible, and which is advanced with an air or appearance of truth, reality, or accepted fact. 1. The Unconscious Mind accepts as true any idea suggested to it or imposed on it; unless: a. there already exists in the Unconscious Mind a contrary idea sufficiently strong to counteract the new one; or b. the Unconscious Mind has acquired a certain mental trend, or habit of thought, which is opposed to the introduction of the new idea; or c. the Unconscious Mind is COMMANDED by its owner not to receive or accept such suggestions or ideas, or classes of ideas. 2. The Unconscious Mind proceeds to logically manifest the conclusion of the suggested and accepted idea; to make it take form in action or physical condition; to adopt it as a habit of manifestation and action. 3. The Unconscious Mind will continue to manifest along the lines of the accepted suggested idea until either a. it is neutralized, canceled and replaced by a sufficiently strong opposing idea; or b. the accepted suggested idea is traced back to its birth in the mind of the person, and it is there shown to be wrong, based on incorrect premises, and therefore untrue; and in both of these cases it is wiped out of the mind, and ceases to manifest. It is painted over by the new idea, and ceases to appear in the mind, or to manifest in action or form. --------------------------------------- RULES OF ACCEPTANCE: A suggestion is usually merely an idea which seems plausible, and which is advanced with an air of, or appearance of truth, reality, or accepted fact. 1. Acceptance is increased by authority, which may cause the suggestion to be accepted (in many cases) out of all proportion to reality. 2. Social proof, or imitation of the people around increases acceptance. People imitate the mental states of the people around them. The Unconscious Mind readily accepts the beliefs, ideas, and conditions of those around its owner. 3. Association increases acceptance of suggestions. A suggestion is more acceptable if the ideas in it more closely resemble ideas already accepted. 4. Suggestion gains force by repetition. The more frequent the suggestion, the more deeply the impression is impressed. 5. The potency of the suggestion is aided by aroused imagination and expectant attention of the client. --------------------------------------- THE BODY MIND: 1. While many people believe that the body causes the mind, mental healing believes that the human body is the result of mind. The body is an organ of mind, as is the brain. 2. The body, as a whole, is the outward aspect of an inward mentality. 3. Every part of the human body also has mind active in it. The Body Mind is one of the areas of the Unconscious Mind. The Unconscious Mind performs at least 80% of the metal activity of the mind. 4. The Body Mind responds to suggestions and orders just like the Unconscious Mind. 5. It also takes up suggestions from other minds unless the Conscious Mind instructs it not to. When the Unconscious Mind accepts suggested ideas relating to physical conditions it passes them to the body mind. The Body Mind then proceeds to manifest it into reality. Therapeutic Suggestion is the indirect placing of an idea in the Unconscious Mind in such a way that it is accepted as truth by the Unconscious Mind and then passed to the Body Mind. Every living thing possesses mind -- even the cells. The group psychology of the cells is like crowd psychology, and it is that which comprises the morphogenic field of the body. (Morphogenic field is a term from quantum physics, and is roughly equivalent to the blueprint of creation.) Dumont says that disease is a failure of the cells to function properly, ie: to do their full work, to repair waste, and to eliminate waste matter. This improper functioning may be the fault of individual cells or cell-groups. Sometimes the Body Mind becomes obsessed with the delusion of disease, and in such cases it must be restored to normal condition by means of treatment from outside. To be effective, Suggestion must reach the mind in the cells and in the cell-groups. The abnormal condition must be neutralized and destroyed, and the normal condition restored. Physically, the Body Mind is located in the Solar Plexus, almost directly behind the "pit of the stomach." It is activated by two very important motives: (1) the motive of self- preservation; and (2) the motive of the reproduction of the species -- these are its two major motivations. That's why it seeks health in the body, and also why it often exerts such an over-powering influence in sex-attraction. Much of what we call sickness is really just an attempt of the Body Mind to get rid of impure or injurious material in the body. Fever is often just an attempt to burn up these impurities, which the Body Mind is unable to get rid of otherwise. The Body Mind is always working toward the life and health of the body. The Body Mind sometimes lags behind in its work; or it may become sluggish and apathetic; or perhaps discouraged by some cause or another. In these cases it can be stimulated and guided to action by the proper direction from the suggestions coming in through the Conscious Mind. The Body Mind is affected by the suggestion of wrong ideas strongly and repeatedly presented to it -- especially if presented with authority. Next to false ideas, fear is the most important factor in the mental cause of disease. Fear paralyzes the activity of the body mind, and prevents it from doing its work properly. The mind turned in the wrong direction will cause disease as surely as the mind turned in the right direction will cause the disease to disappear. In his early experiments, Charcot created both mental and physical diseases in his subjects, and then he took them away. Could the same processes be used to take away pre-existing diseases? We believe so. Mary Kawena Pukui in an audio tape at the Bishop Museum (7/30/58) says, "My people believed that the taking of medicine was of little help without first removing any and all mental obstructions first. 'E ho'oponopono mua i kuakahi ka la'au.' 'Set to rights so that medicine might take effect.'" This is why we always look for the mental component as a cause for a physical disease. The first part of any process of working with the Body Mind is to reach and remove the original erroneous idea or thought which has really caused the whole idea. In this way, discover and remove the roots of the trouble. Keep this in mind, as opposed to removing the effects of the dis-ease (symptoms). The Body Mind will continue to hold on to and manifest the results of its erroneous ideas until the following things happen: (1) The original idea is neutralized, canceled, and replaced by a sufficiently strong opposing idea or suggestion, or (2) the accepted suggestion is turned back to its birth in the mind of the person, and is shown to be erroneous, based on wrong premises, and therefore untrue. In both of these methods the erroneous and harmful idea is wiped from the mind, and ceases to exist in the mind or in thought and action. Healing processes when they occur, occur at the level of the cell. Since the cellular level is a level of mind, (and based on the laws of quantum physics), the first cause for any cure must be mental. Dumont: "All cures are mind cures, at the last." The curative process always consists of repairing waste tissues, and in a harmonious readjustment of mutual relations and conditions by the activities of the cells themselves. Since the potency of the suggestion is aided by aroused imagination and expectant attention of the client, this climate facilitates healing. The client noting the improvement is encouraged in his faith and belief, and the suggestion gains momentum. The imagination, if sufficiently aroused, is capable of working many important cures of serious ailments, a well as the lesser ones. --------------------------------------- 3 METHODS OF MENTAL HEALING: (Usually, not just one, but two or all three are used, All methods rely on arousing into renewed and normal activity and functioning the mind in the cells, organs and parts of the body of the patient.) FIRST, HEALING BY MENTAL SUGGESTION: 1. Hypnosis is the state where direct Suggestion has exaggerated effect. 2. All Suggestion, however, does not rely on the formal induction of a trance state. 3. Mental Suggestion involves placing in the Unconscious Mind of the client, a firm, strong, positive idea of the physical condition sought to be introduced in him. 4. Suggestion is not logical argument or reasoning in that it does not seek to convince by logical proof, but rather by its acceptance due to its strong insistence and authoritative form of presentation. 5. In the book Methods and Uses of Hypnosis and Suggestion, Bernard Hollander defines Suggestion as, "a process of communication of an idea to the Unconscious Mind in an unobtrusive manner, carrying conviction; when consciously there is no inclination for its acceptance, and logically there are no adequate grounds for its acceptance." 6. Mental Suggestion creates the desired idea in the Body Mind by means of your words - - spoken, written, or printed -- describing the desired end state. SECOND, HEALING BY THOUGHT INDUCTION: 1. Your thoughts are contagious -- they affect the client. The effect of your thoughts on the client are either metaphysical, or psychological, or both. 2. Your beliefs about what is possible, affect the client's performance. The client will absolutely not actualize what you do not believe to be true or possible (see Weitzenhoffer, 1957; and Estabrooks, 1943). 3. Your thinking tends to induce a corresponding idea, thought, or mental vibration in the mind of the client. This can be used to induce an idea of the desired condition in the client. 4. This type of Suggestion is often not perceived at the conscious level, but is at the unconscious level. It is then passed on to the Body Mind, and then on to the cells and organs of the body. 5. "In practice, and in actual treatments, you should always hold the mental picture of the desired condition -- not that of the diseased condition; and always make your silent suggestions... stating the conditions you wish to produce, and never those you wish to remove. Always point out the mental road you wish the [body mind] to follow. ... Do not merely think the idea of what you wish to silently suggest... but actually think the words in which you would express the idea if you were speaking to the patient. This formation of words in the mind and the projection of them in Thought Induction is very important. There is, of course, no magic in the words themselves, but nevertheless the action of the mind in crystallizing the idea into words gives concentrated force to them, and they are projected with greatly increased power into the mind of the patient. In giving Thought Induction treatments then, remember to think the actual words. Form the actual words in your mind. ... Remember you are addressing the [body mind] of the patient in these silent treatments."[pg138] 6. It is well to have your treating room as quiet as possible, and as free from disturbing influences. It is well to have the light somewhat dim or shaded."[pg140] 7. The practitioner should keep this idea or mental picture before him as much as possible during the entire treatment. He should refuse to think of or picture the patient in a condition of disease or weakness; but should always insist upon his mind picturing the desired condition of health. 8. In addition, you will note that this general method is not so much a matter of saying or doing a certain thing as it is a case of holding a certain mental attitude. [pg 141] 9. The practitioner must take the mental position, and assume the mental attitude, that the physical body of the patient, in its entirety and in its parts, down even to the cells composing it, is PLASTIC SUBSTANCE which may be molded by the thought influence ad power of himself (the practitioner), just as the plastic clay is molded by the hands of the potter or the sculptor. ... Under the silent force of the creative mind of the practitioner the physical body of the patient must be thought of as being built-up, strengthened, and restored to normal functioning; the cells thought of as doing their work with renewed energy and activity; and the whole system flooded with vital force and energy, vitality and life. 10. What the mind of the healer can do for a patient, the mind of the patient can do for himself ... cultivate the art of visualizing or picturing himself as possessing a perfect, healthy, strong body, functioning perfectly in every organ, and perfect in every part. To this he should add the habit of refusing to think of his body as weak, diseased, or imperfect in any way. He should acquire the habit of thinking of his body as already being that which he wishes it to be. 11. Remember that the body mind has the tendency to manifest into physical form the mental images concerning it which are habitually held in the mind of the person. --------------------------------------- THIRD, HEALING BY DISTANT THOUGHT INDUCTION: 1. At the level of Thought Induction, there is no space. 2. The actual process is the same as the previous. 3. The only additional part of the process is the establishing of mental lines of communication between the practitioner and the mind of his patient. The thought of the practitioner actually builds up its own lines of communication to the mind of the patient and then travels over it. Thought projects from itself the lines over which it travels to a distance. Set it up by means of the astral tube (see below). 4. You build the track, or mental path, by thinking of it. ... We perform this work unconsciously every day of our lives when we intently think of a person; though in such cases there is seldom the degree of strength manifested which accompanies conscious deliberate efforts in this direction -- there is usually lacking that concentration which produces forceful and effective results in the work of thought transmission. 5. The more vivid the practitioner can make this mental track or path between himself and the patient -- the clearer he can visualize it in his "mind's eye," the more effective will be the currents that travel over it, and the closer the "en rapport" condition between the patient and himself. 6. If he can instruct the patient to aid in this work of path-building there will, of course, be a much greater degree of "en rapport" condition existing between them -- a mental agreement naturally always produces better results in these cases. 7. The practitioner, in order to get the best results, should first establish a strong, clear, unobstructed line of mental communication with the patient; this will remain after the treatment, and will render easier the subsequent treatments -- though it will be found well to keep the line in order, the track clear, by a little attention each day or so. (The patient should be cautioned against opening up to all astral influences.) --------------------------------------- THE ASTRAL TUBE: (Consists of building up on the astral plane [the next one above the physical plane], of a tube or tunnel which acts as an effective channel for the transmission of thought currents or thought vibrations.) 1. Shut out from the mind all disturbing influences. 2. Concentrate on the task of creating the image in the astral substance. 3. Begin by gazing in the general direction of the person. 4. Picture in the mind a great cloud of smoke-like substance filling the space between the two of you. The color would be white, or purple-white. 5. Pierce the astral vapor by setting up a whirling motion in its center. 6. The whirlwind bores through the center of the smoke-like substance, until the person is perceived at the other end. 7. The process of healing then continues as previously discussed. --------------------------------------- HEALING AT A DISTANCE: 1. The client should be instructed to make himself as open and receptive to you as possible. (This instruction does not apply to all thoughts, as this is a problem that many people already have. Tell the client to be receptive to your thoughts only.) 2. Get the feeling of rapport between you and the patient -- a sense of closeness, a sense of the client being in your presence. 3. Visualize the client as if in your presence. (At this point, you can drop the Astral Tube if you were using it.) 4. In your imagination, act as if the person were present in front of you -- from the point of view of distant healing, they are. 5. Proceed in the same way you would if the client were in your presence -- from the interview to the end. ========================================= For Trainer's: Add Info from Post Hypnotic Instruction by Arnold Furst Suggestion in Healing Copyright (c)1993, Tad James 1