Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-04-05
WHEN TASKS PERPLEX
BY H. Addington Bruce

HROM inquiries have received it Is evil
dent there still is lacking any general
- appreciation of how to make use of ones
subconscious powers as an aid in solving diff
cult business problems. Especially would this
seem to be true as regards one method of
"harnessing the subconscious' which is of all
methods perhaps the most impressiyely pro-
ductive of good results.
To that method I have already made refer
ence more than once in the course of my
writings. More recent testimony to it's value
comes from a student of applied psychology,
Frederick Pierce, in a passage both descrlp-
tive of the method itself and indicative Of
what may be expected from it:
Experiments directed at improving the
quality of brain work were attended with in
teresting and highly satisfactory response. In
part these were aimed only at generally high
er mental efficiency, but in part they included
such specific suggestions as setting the uncon-
scious at work on definite creative compo-
stion during the nights sleep.
'In one of the latter instances, when my
self was the subject of the autosuggest1on.
aWoke at 5 a. M, after several hours of quiet
sleep, to find sentences forming in conscious
ness which were so in line with what | sought
that arose and began writing.
"The material came rapidly, without pause,
for about an hour. The treatment of the sub
iect was far better than anything I had been
able to do with it in many days of conscious
effort"
And, hint of real helpfulness:
"In setting the unconscious at work at
night, have found it useful, before retiring,
briefly to review the data in consciousness
with no effort whatever toward construction.
A simple suggestion formula is then used as
sleep approaches"
Now, it cannot be too strongly emphasized
that this device for utilizing the subconscious
powers is available to all whose daily work
involves mental activity in any field of en-
deavor. 1t does not matter whether man
is preacher or poet, a painter or builder,
a banker or a salesman, it does not matter
what his occupation, if it be such as to give
rise to perplexing mental problems.
What does matter, though, what is abso-
lutely prerequisite to any successful thar
Messing of the subconscious, is that before
one undertakes to set his subconsc1ous to
work he shall devote some conscious thought
to the problems he would have his subcon-
scious help him to solve.
Mr.. Pierce speaks of reviewing the data IN
consciousness, with no effort whatever toward
construction That is all very well part
of the procedure t. be followed as means If
giving the subconscious definite impulse
apply during sleep to specific problem.
But previous to this a conscious effort at
construction is indispensable, if only to pro-
vide the subconscious with working mate
rial relating to the problem that perplexes.
Even the subconscious cannot make some
thing out of nothing; that would be eXpectir g
altogether too much of it.
So that it is as futile to say LET the sub
conscious do it all'' as it is a great waste of
time and energy to try to solve all ones prob
lens without any resort to the subcOnsclouS
The wisest course is to make supplementary
use of the subconscious in intervals of relaxa-
tfon, and most Of all during the hours OF
sleep, when the consciousness is taking we'll
earned repose. The repose, indeed, must be
Well-earned, else the products of subconscious
thinking are sure to be of an inferior sort.
Copyright, 1929