Evening star., 1923-01-13
BY EMILE CoUE.
Eighth Of Coue series. More articles
written while here will follow later.

Eighth Of Coue series. More articles
written while here will follow later.
NJ. Jourdain, the Bourgeois gentil-
homme," spoke prose without know
ing it," In the same way we all prac-
tice autosuggestion, but often with
out being conscious of it. To a GER
tain extent autosuggestion may be
automatic-in the sense that 1t may
not be inspired or guided by delib-
crate reflection. But how much more
potent a factor it must be in our
lives when we have learned its
mechanism and discovered how to
The act of breathing is automatic,
yet we can modify at will our man
ner of breathing; we can improve our
health by learning to breathe in
certain way and by doing regular
breathing exercises. So it is with
autosuggestion. Once we realize its
force and learn to control it we are
the masters Of our destinies.
Let me give you an illustration OF
the automatic practice of autoSug-
ScStion. A newborn baby. in It's
cradle. begins to cry. Immediately its
mother or father takes IL in her or
his arms, the infant stops crying and
Is replaced in the cradle. Whereupon
the crying begins over again, only to
stop once more if the baby be lifted
from its cradle. The operation may
be repeated an almost unlimited
number OF times, always with the
same result. The child-lacking con-
Scious thought automa tically
practicing autosuggestion. 1t obtains
the qualification of its unconscious
desire to be taken into it's mother s
arms by crying. II resisted, on the
other hand--tf left to cry alone In IT'S
cradIe--its subconscious mind Will
register the fact, and the baby viii
not take the trouble to cry, because
it knows it will have no effect.
Governed systematically.
And il is like that with every one,
from birth 10 death. We live by
autosug.estion, we are governed by
our subconscious mind. Happily. we
are able to guide it by our reason.
Like everything else. however, the
science of autosuggestion has to be
learned. 1t is a matter OF educating
ones self UP TO the point Where COM
plete control of the subconscious
mind is attained. That means SELL
masterY-and health.
Prevention Is better than cure. The
idea of good health begets GOOD
health, and if by accident we are at
tackled by disease we are certain TO
have an infinitely greater chance of
the malady by practicing autosugges-
tion than If we knew nothing of its
principles. Have you not noticed this
during epidemics? 1t is well known
fact that persons who, in such times.
go serenely about their business, not
Worrying for themselves and not
giving thought to the epidemic except
10 tell themselves that they are sure
not to catch the sickness, are almost
always immune and escape contagion.
On the other hand, nervous people,
frightened by the cases around them
and allowing their thoughts to run
constantly on the prevailing malady,
are certain to fall i'll, despite all their
precautions. Amazing instances OF
the power of suggestion are recorded
in the annals of the faculty of Paris.
Prof. Bouchet relates the following,
among many others: An old lady,
after undergoing a desperate surgical
operation, was dying. Her son was
due to arrive from India two days
later. But, humanity speaking, it was
impossible for her to live so long. The
method OF suggestion was resorted to.
She was told that she was better and
that she would see her son on the
morrow. The result was a complete
success. A fortnight later the old
lady was still alive. And. from a
medical point of view, that was a
miracle.
After Eleven Operations.
Equally miraculous. to all appear
ance, was the case of man occupy
ing an important position at Nancy
q. few years ago. He came to me
suffering from sinusitis. He had
undergone eleven operations, but the
terrible disease continued its ravages.
He was in horrible condition.
physically and morally Day and
night, without intermission. the un-
fortunate man was tortured by ex-