LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. PART TWO.
Our difficulties are largely due to confused ideas
and ignorance of our true interests. The great task
is to discover the laws of nature to which we are to
adjust ourselves. Clear thinking and moral insight
are, therefore, of incalculable value. All processes,
even those of thought, rest on solid foundations.
The keener the sensibilities, the more acute the
judgment, the more delicate the taste, the more re-
fined the moral feelings, the more subtle the intelli-
gence, the loftier the aspiration--the purer and more
intense are the gratifications which existence yields.
Hence it is that the study of the best that has been
thought in the world gives supreme pleasure.
The powers, uses and possibilities of the mind un-
der the new interpretations are incomparably more
wonderful than the most extravagant accomplish-
ment, or even dreams of material progress. Thought
is energy. Active thought is active energy; concen-
trated thought is concentrated energy. Thought
concentrated on a definite purpose becomes power.
This is the power which is being used by those who
do not believe in the virtue of poverty, or the beauty
of self-denial. They perceive that this is the talk of
weaklings.
The ability to receive and manifest this power de-
pends upon the ability to recognize the Infinite En-
ergy ever dwelling in man, constantly creating and
recreating his body and mind, and ready at any mo-
ment to manifest through him in any needful man-
ner. In exact proportion to the recognition of this
truth will be the manifestation in the outer life of
the individual.
Part two explains the method by which this is
accomplished.
PART TWO.
1. The operations of the mind are pro-
duced by two parallel modes of activity,
the one conscious, and the other sub-con-
scious. Prof. Davidson says: "He who
thinks to illuminate the whole range of
mental action by the light of his own con-
sciousness is not unlike one who should go
about to illuminate the universe with a
rushlight."
2. The sub-conscious, logical processes
are carried on with a certainty and reg-
ularity which would be impossible if there
existed the possibility of error. Our mind
is so designed that it prepares for us the
most important foundations of cognition,
whilst we have not the slightest apprehen-
sion of the modus operandi.
3. The sub-conscious soul, like a benevo-
lent stranger, works and makes provision
for our benefit, pouring only the mature
fruit into our lap; thus ultimate analysis
of thought processes shows that the sub-
conscious is the theatre of the most im-
portant mental phenomena.
4. It is through the sub-conscious that
Shakespeare must have perceived, without
effort, great truths which are hidden from
the conscious mind of the student; that
Phidias fashioned marble and bronze; that
Raphael painted Madonnas and Beethoven
composed symphonies.
5. Ease and perfection depend entirely
upon the degree in which we cease to de-
pend upon the consciousness; playing the
piano, skating, operation the typewriter,
the skilled trades, depend for their perfect
execution on the process of the sub-con-
scious mind. The marvel of playing a bril-
liant piece on the piano, while at the same
time conducting a vigorous conversation,
shows the greatness of our sub-conscious
powers.
6. We are all aware how dependent
we are upon the sub-conscious, and
the greater, the nobler, the more brilliant
our thoughts are, the more it is obvious
to ourselves that the origin lies beyond our
ken. We find ourselves endowed with tact,
instinct, sense of the beautiful in art, mu-
sic, etc., of whose origin or dwelling place
we are wholly unconscious.
7. The value of the sub-conscious is
enormous; it inspires us; it warns us; it
furnishes us with names, facts and scenes
from the storehouse of memory. It directs
our thoughts, tastes, and accomplishes
tasks so intricate that no conscious mind,
even if it had the power, has the capacity
for.
8. We can walk at will; we can raise
the arm whenever we choose to do so; we
can give our attention through eye or ear
to any subject at pleasure. On the other
hand, we cannot stop our heartbeats nor
the circulation of the blood, nor the growth
of stature, nor the formation of nerve and
muscle tissue, nor the building of the bones,
nor many other important vital processes.
9. If we compare these two sets of ac-
tion, the one decreed by the will of the
moment, and the other proceeding in ma-
jestic, rhythmic course, subject to no vas-
cillation, but constant at every moment, we
stand in awe of the latter, and ask to have
the mystery explained. We see at once that
these are the vital processes of our phy-
sical life, and we can not avoid the infer-
ence that these all-important functions are
designedly withdrawn from the domain of
our outward will with its variations and
transitions, and placed under the direction
of a permanent and dependable power
within us.
10. Of these two powers, the outward
and changeable has been termed the "Con-
scious Mind," or the "Objective Mind"
(dealing with outward objects). The in-
terior power is called the "Sub-conscious
Mind," or the "Subjective Mind," and be-
sides its work on the mental plane it con-
trols the regular functions which make
physical life possible.
11. It is necessary to have a clear un-
derstanding of their respective functions
on the mental plane, as well as of certain
other basic principles. Perceiving and op-
erating through the five physical senses,
the conscious mind deals with the impres-
sions and objects of the outward life.
12. It has the faculty of discrimination,
carrying with it the responsibility of
choice. It has the power of reasoning
whether inductive, deductive, analytical or
syllogistic, and this power may be devel-
oped to a high degree. It is the seat of
the will with all the energies that flow
therefrom.
13. Not only can it impress other
minds, but it can direct the sub-conscious
mind. In this way the conscious mind be-
comes the responsible ruler and guardian
of the sub-conscious mind. It is this high
function which can completely reverse con-
ditions in your life.
14. It is often true that conditions of
fear, worry, poverty, disease, inharmony
and evils of all kinds dominate us by rea-
son of false suggestions accepted by the
unguarded sub-conscious mind. All this
the trained conscious mind can entirely
prevent by its vigilant protective action. It
may properly be called "the watchman at
the gate" of the great sub-conscious do-
main.
15. One writer has expressed the chief
distinction between the two phases of mind
thus:
"Conscious mind is reasoning will. Sub-
conscious mind is instinctive desire, the re-
sult of past reasoning will."
16. The sub-conscious mind draws just
and accurate inferences from premises fur-
nished from outside sources. Where the
premise is true, the sub-conscious mind
reaches a faultless conclusion, but, where
the premise or suggestion is an error, the
whole structure falls. The sub-conscious
mind does not engage in the process of
proving. It relies upon the conscious mind,
"the watchman at the gate," to guard it
from mistaken impressions.
17. Receiving any suggestions as true,
the sub-conscious mind at once proceeds
to act thereon in the whole domain of its
tremendous field of work. The conscious
mind can suggest either truth or error. If
the latter, it is at the cost of wide-reaching
peril to the whole being.
18. The conscious mind ought to be on
duty during every waking hour. When the
"watchman" is "off guard," or when its
calm judgment is suspended, under a va-
riety of circumstances, then the sub-con
scious mind is unguarded and left open to
suggestion from all sources. During the
wild excitement of panic, or during the
height of anger, or the impulses of the ir-
responsible mob, or at any other time of
unrestrained passion, the conditions are
most dangerous. The sub-conscious mind
is then open to the suggestion of fear,
hatred, selfishness, greed, self-depreciation
and other negative forces, derived from
surrounding persons or circumstances.
The result is usually unwholesome in the
extreme, with effects that may endure to
distress it for a long time. Hence, the
great importance of guarding the sub-con
scious mind from false impressions.
19. The sub-conscious mind perceives
by intuition. Hence, its processes are
rapid. It does not wait for the slow meth-
ods of conscious reasoning. In fact, it can
not employ them.
20. The sub-conscious mind never
sleeps, never rests, any more than does
your heart, or your blood. It has been
found that by plainly stating to the sub-
conscious mind certain specific things to
be accomplished, forces are set in opera-
tion that lead to the result desired. Here,
then, is a source of power which places us
in touch with Omnipotence. Herein is a
deep principle which is well worth our
most earnest study.
21. The operation of this law is inter-
esting. Those who put it into operation
find that when they go out to meet the per-
son with whom they anticipate a difficult
interview, lo! something has been there
before them and dissolved the supposed
differences; everything is changed; all is
harmonious; they find that when some dif-
ficult business problem presents itself they
can afford to make delay and something
suggests the proper solution; everything is
properly arranged; in fact, those who have
learned to trust the sub-conscious find that
they have infinite resources at their com-
mand.
22. The sub-conscious mind is the seat
of our principles and our aspirations. It
is the fount of our artistic and altruistic
ideals. These instances can only be over-
thrown by an elaborate and gradual pro-
cess of undermining the innate principles.
23. The sub-conscious mind can not ar-
gue controversially. Hence, if it has ac-
cepted wrong suggestions, the sure method
of overcoming them is by the use of a
strong counter suggestion, frequently re-
peated, which the mind must accept, thus
eventually forming new and healthy habits
of thought and life, for the sub-conscious
mind is the seat of Habit. That which we
do over and over becomes mechanical; it is
no longer an act of judgement, but has
worn its deep grooves in the sub-conscious
mind. This is favorable for us if the habit
be wholesome and right. If it be harmful
and wrong, the remedy is to recognize the
omnipotence of the sub-conscious mind and
suggest present actual freedom. The sub-
conscious being creative and one with our
divine source will at once create the free-
dom suggested.
24. To sum up: The normal functions
of the sub-conscious on the physical side
have to do with the regular and vital pro-
cesses, with the preservation of life and the
restoration of health; with the care of off-
spring, which includes an instinctive de-
sire to preserve all life and improve condi-
tions generally.
25. On the mental side, it is the store-
house of memory; it harbors the wonder-
ful thought messengers, who work, un-
hampered by time or space; it is the foun-
tain of the practical initiative and con-
structive forces of life: It is the seat of
habit.
26. On the spiritual side, it is the source
of ideals, of aspiration, of the imagination,
and is the channel through which we rec-
ognize our Divine Source, and in propor-
tion as we recognize this divinity do we
come into an understanding of the source
of power.
27. Some one may ask: How can the
sub-conscious change conditions?" The
reply is, because the sub-conscious is a part
of the Universal Mind and a part must be
the same in kind and quality as the whole;
the only difference is one of degree. The
whole, as we know, is creative, in fact, it is
the only creator there is, consequently, we
find that mind is creative, and as thought
is the only activity which the mind pos-
sesses thought must necessarily be creative
also.
28. But we shall find that there is a vast
difference between simply thinking, and
directing our thought consciously, sys-
tematically and constructively; when we do
this we place our mind in harmony with the
Universal Mind, we come in tune with
the Infinite, we set in operation the might-
iest force in existence, the creative power
of the Universal Mind. This, as every-
thing else, is governed by natural law, and
this law is the "Law of attraction," which
is that Mind is creative, and will auto-
matially correlate with its object and
bring it into manifestation.
29. Last week I gave you an exercise
for the purpose of securing control of the
physical body; if you have accomplished
this you are ready to advance. This time
you will begin to control your thought.
Always take the same room, the same
chair, and the same position, if possible.
In some cases it is not convenient to take
the same room, in this case simply make
the best use of such conditions as may be
available. Now be perfectly still as be-
fore, but inhibit all thought; this will give
you control over all thoughts of care,
worry and fear, and will enable you to en-
certain only the kind of thoughts you de-
sire. Continue this exercise until you gain
complete mastery.
30. You will not be able to do this for
more than a few moments at a time, but
the exercise is valuable, because it will be
a very practical demonstration of the great
number of thoughts which are constantly
trying to gain access to your mental world.
31. Next week you will receive instruct-
ions for an exercise which may be a little
more interesting, but it is necessary that
you master this one first.
Cause and effect is as absolute and
undeviating in the hidden realm of
thought as in the world of visible and
material things. Mind is the master
weaver, both of the interior garment of
character and the outer garment of cir-
cumstance. --James Allen.
PART TWO.
11. What are the two modes of mental
activity?
Conscious and subconscious.
12. Upon what do ease and perfection
depend?
Ease and perfection depend entirely
upon the degree in which we cease
to depend upon the conscious mind.
13. What is the value of the subcon-
scious?
It is enormous; it guides us, warns
us, it controls the vital processes and
is the seat of memory.
14. What are some of the functions of
the conscious mind?
It has the faculty of discrimination;
it has the power of reasoning; it is
the seat of the will and may impress
the subconscious.
15. How has the distinction between the
conscious and subconscious been ex-
pressed?
"Conscious mind is reasoning will.
Subconscious mind is instinctive de-
sire, the result of past reasoning
will."
16. What method is necessary in order
to impress the subconscious?
Mentally state what is wanted.
17. What will be the result?
If the desire is in harmony with the
forward movement of the great
Whole, forces will be set in motion
which will bring about the result.
18. What is the result of the operation
of this law.
Our environment reflects conditions
corresponding to the predominant
mental attitude which we entertain.
19. What name has been given to this
law?
The Law of Attraction.
20. How is the law stated?
Thought is a creative energy, and
will automatically correlate with its
object and bring it into manifest-
ion.