You have found that the Individual may act on the Universal, and that the result of this action and interaction is cause
and effect. Thought, therefore, is the cause, and the experiences with which you meet in life are the effect.
Eliminate, therefore, any possible tendency to complain of conditions as they have been, or as they are, because it rests
with you to change them and make them what you would like them to be.
Direct your effort to a realization of the mental
resources, always at your command, from which all real and lasting power
comes.
Persist in this practice until you come to a
realization of the fact that there can be no failure in the
accomplishment of
any proper object in life if you but understand your
power and persist in your object, because the mind-forces are ever ready
to lend themselves to a purposeful will, in the effort
to crystallize thought and desire into actions, events and conditions.
Whereas in the beginning of each function of life and
each action is the result of conscious thought, the habitual actions
become automatic and the thought that controls them
passes into the realm of the subconscious; yet it is just as intelligent
as before. It is necessary that it become automatic,
or subconscious, in order that the self-conscious mind may attend to
other things. The new actions will, however, in their
turn, be come habitual, then automatic, then subconscious in order that
the mind again may be freed from this detail and
advanced to still other activities.
When you realize this, you will have found a source of
power which will enable you to take care of any situation in life which
may develop.
PART THREE
1. The necessary interaction of the
conscious and subconscious mind requires a similar interaction between
the corresponding
systems of nerves. Judge Troward indicates the very
beautiful method in which this interaction is effected. He says: The
cerebro-spinal
system is the organ of the conscious mind and the
sympathetic is the organ of the subconscious. The cerebro-spinal is the
channel through which we receive conscious perception
from the physical senses and exercise control over the movements of
the body. This system of nerves has its centre in the
brain.
2. The Sympathetic System has its centre in a ganglionic mass at the back of the stomach known as the Solar Plexus, and is
the channel of that mental action which unconsciously supports the vital functions of the body.
3. The connection between the two
systems is made by the vagus nerve which passes out of the cerebral
region as a portion
of the voluntary system to the thorax, sending out
branches to the heart and lungs, and finally passing through the
diaphragm,
it loses its outer coating and becomes identified with
the nerves of the Sympathetic System, so forming a connecting link
between the two and making man physically a "single
entity".
4. We have seen that every thought is
received by the brain, which is the organ of the conscious; it is here
subjected to
our power of reasoning. When the objective mind has
been satisfied that the thought is true it is sent to the Solar Plexus,
or the brain of the subjective mind, to be made into
our flesh, to be brought forth into the world as reality. It is then
no longer susceptible to any argument whatever. The
subconscious mind cannot argue; it only acts. It accepts the conclusions
of the objective mind as final.
5. The Solar Plexus has been likened
to the sun of the body, because it is a central point of distribution
for the energy
which the body is constantly generating. This energy
is very real energy, and this sun is a very real sun, and the energy
is being distributed by very real nerves to all parts
of the body, and is thrown off in an atmosphere which envelopes the
body.
6. If this radiation is sufficiently
strong the person is called magnetic; he is said to be filled with
personal magnetism.
Such a person may wield an immense power for good. His
presence alone will often bring comfort to the troubled minds with
which he comes in contact.
7. When the Solar Plexus is in active
operation and is radiating life, energy and vitality to every part of
the body, and
to every one whom he meets, the sensations are
pleasant, the body is filled with health and all with whom he comes in
contact
experience a pleasant sensation.
8. If there is any interruption of
this radiation the sensations are unpleasant, the flow of life and
energy to some part
of the body is stopped, and this is the cause of every
ill to the human race, physical, mental or environmental.
9. Physical because the sun of the
body is no longer generating sufficient energy to vitalize some part of
the body; mental
because the conscious mind is dependent upon the
subconscious mind for the vitality necessary to support its thought, and
environmental, because the connection between the
subconscious mind and the Universal mind, is being interrupted.
10. The Solar Plexus is the point at
which the part meets with the whole, where the finite becomes Infinite,
where the Uncreate
becomes create, the Universal becomes individualized,
the Invisible becomes visible. It is the point at which life appears
and there is no limit to the amount of life an
individual may generate from this Solar centre.
11. This centre of energy is
Omnipotent because it is the point of contact with all life and all
intelligence. It can therefore
accomplish whatever it is directed to accomplish, and
herein lies the power of the conscious mind; the subconscious can and
will carry out such plans and ideas as may be
suggested to it by the conscious mind.
12. Conscious thought, then, is
master of this sun centre from which the life and energy of the entire
body flows and the
quality of the thought which we entertain determines
the quality of the thought which this sun will radiate, and the
character
of the thought which our conscious mind entertains
will determine the character of the thought which this sun will radiate,
and the nature of the thought which our conscious mind
entertains will determine the nature of thought which this sun will
radiate, and consequently will determine the nature of
the experience which will result.
13. It is evident, therefore, that
all we have to do is let our light shine; the more energy we can
radiate, the more rapidly
shall we be enabled to transmute undesirable
conditions into sources of pleasure and profit. The important question,
then,
is how to let this light shine; how to generate this
energy.
14. Non-resistant thought expands the
Solar Plexus; resistant thought contracts it. Pleasant thought expands
it; unpleasant
thought contracts it. Thoughts of courage, power,
confidence and hope all produce a corresponding state, but the one arch
enemy of the Solar Plexus which must be absolutely
destroyed before there is any possibility of letting any light shine is
fear. This enemy must be completely destroyed; he must
be eliminated; he must be expelled forever; he is the cloud which hides
the sun; which causes a perpetual gloom.
15. It is this personal devil which
makes men fear the past, the present and the future; fear themselves,
their friends and
their enemies; fear everything and everybody. When
fear is effectually and completely destroyed, your light will shine, the
clouds will disperse and you will have found the
source of power, energy and life.
16. When you find that you are really
one with the Infinite power, and when you can consciously realize this
power by a practical
demonstration of your ability to overcome any adverse
condition by the power of your thought, you will have nothing to fear;
fear will have been destroyed and you will have come
into possession of your birthright.
17. It is our attitude of mind toward
life which determines the experiences with which we are to meet; if we
expect nothing,
we shall have nothing; if we demand much, we shall
receive the greater portion. The world is harsh only as we fail to
assert
ourselves. The criticism of the world is bitter only
to those who cannot compel room for their ideas. It is fear of this
criticism
that causes many ideas to fail to see the light of
day.
18. But the man who knows that he has
a Solar Plexus will not fear criticism or anything else; he will be too
busy radiating
courage, confidence, and power; he will anticipate
success by his mental attitude; he will pound barriers to pieces, and
leap
over the chasm of doubt and hesitation which fear
places in his path.
19. A knowledge of our ability to consciously radiate health, strength and harmony will bring us into a realization that there
is nothing to fear because we are in touch with Infinite Strength.
20. This knowledge can be gained only by making practical application of this information. We learn by doing; through practice
the athlete comes powerful.
21. As the following statement is of
considerable importance, I will put it in several ways, so that you
cannot fail to get
the full significance of it. If you are religiously
inclined, I would say, you can let your light shine. If your mind has
a bias toward physical science, I would say you can
wake the Solar Plexus; or, if you prefer the strictly scientific
interpretation,
I will say that you can impress your subconscious
mind.
22. I have already told you what the
result of this impression will be. It is the method in which you are now
interested.
You have already learned that the subconscious is
intelligent and that it is creative, and responsive to the will of the
conscious
mind. What, then, is the most natural way of making
the desired impression? Mentally concentrate on the object of your
desire;
when you are concentrating you are impressing the
subconscious.
23. This is not the only way, but it
is a simple and effective way, and the most direct way, and consequently
the way in which
the best results are secured. It is the method which
is producing such extraordinary results that many think that miracles
are being accomplished.
24. It is the method by which every
great inventor, every great financier, every great statesman has been
enabled to convert
the subtle and invisible force of desire, faith and
confidence into actual, tangible, concrete facts in the objective world.
25. The subconscious mind is a part
of the Universal mind. The Universal is the creative principle of the
Universe, a part
must be the same in kind and quality as the whole.
This means that this creative power is absolutely unlimited; it is not
bound by precedent of any kind, and consequently has
no prior existing pattern by which to apply its constructive principle.
26. We have found that the subconscious mind is responsive to our conscious will, which means that the unlimited creative
power of the Universal Mind is within control of the conscious mind of the individual.
27. When making a practical
application of this principle, in accordance with the exercises given in
the subsequent lessons,
it is well to remember that it is not necessary to
outline the method by which the subconscious will produce the results
you
desire. The finite cannot inform the Infinite. You are
simply to say what you desire, not how you are to obtain it.
28. You are the channel by which the
undifferentiated is being differentiated, and this differentiation is
being accomplished
by appropriation. It only requires recognition to set
causes in motion which will bring about results in accordance with your
desire, and this is accomplished because the Universal
can act only through the individual, and the individual can act only
through the Universal; they are one.
29. For your exercise this week, I
will ask you to go one step further. I want you to not only be perfectly
still, and inhibit
all thought as far as possible, but relax, let go, let
the muscles take their normal condition; this will remove all pressure
from the nerves, and eliminate that tension which so
frequently produces physical exhaustion.
30. Physical relaxation is a voluntary exercise of the will and the exercise will be found to be of great value, as it enables
the blood to circulate freely to and from the brain and body.
31. Tensions leads to mental unrest
and abnormal mental activity of the mind; it produces worry, care, fear
and anxiety. Relaxation
is therefore an absolute necessity in order to allow
the mental faculties to exercise the greatest freedom.
32. Make this exercise as thorough and complete as possible, mentally determine that you will relax every muscle and nerve,
until you feel quiet and restful and at peace with yourself and the world.
33. The Solar Plexus will then be ready to function and you will be surprised at the result.
