If you will remember how you were touched by an address that afterward seemed to you to be hyperbolic and flamboyant - without argument, proof or sense - then you will realize how you were made the subject of Mental Suggestion through association. The skillful salesman operates upon you in the same way. So does his twin brother, the advertising man. The revivalist has this art reduced to a perfect science.

Words - words - words - inciters to action; inducers of feeling; symbol of mental states, and reproducers of mental states - despise them not; sneer not at them, for they have brought down low the mightiest of minds, when properly used. Even when written, their potency is great. Countries have often been made captive by a clever phrase, which when analyzed meant nothing in reason - merely an awakener of feeling. Let me make the catch-phrases of a country, and I care not who makes its laws!

The man best adapted to employ this form of suggestion is he who is more or less of an actor - that is, who possesses the faculty of throwing "expression" and "feeling" into words, actions and manner. Good orators, pleaders, salesmen, and others have this faculty largely developed. It belongs to the feminine side of the phenomena, for it has the "charming," drawing, leading aspect, and works by the employment of the emotive-pole of mentation, rather the will or motive pole, as in the case of the first mentioned phase of suggestion - that of authoritative statement or command. It operates not by beating down the will of the other person, but rather by inducing a sympathetic rhythm of feeling and emotion, which overpowers his own will, and causes it to act accordingly.

One should ever be on guard against this kind of influence. The best way to escape it, is to adopt the policy of never acting immediately in response to an appeal of this kind. Rather wait until the effect has worn off, and then submit the matter to the consider-tion of your reason and judgment. Of course, the cultivation of will-power will act as a shield or armor, protecting you from the subtle vibrations of this kind, for this form of suggestion is usually accompanied by strong mentative currents from the mind of the speaker. Fence yourself off from a too ready response to sympathetic appeals along the emotional lines. Let the head stand by the heart, ready to prevent its running away with you.

Men should have the reason in the ascendant, not the emotional nature. When you feel yourself being carried off of your feet, by some emotional excitment, steady yourself and ask your mind this question: is this a mental suggestion?" The question will tend to bring you to your state of equilibrium. "When you know what a Mental Suggestion is, then you will learn to recognize them, and be on the lookout for them. This state of mind will act as a strong neutralizing agent for the most skillfully put suggestion. Have your torpedo nets out, no matter how secure you may imagine yourself to be. One caution more - be especially cautious, and slow to accept a suggestion when you are worn-out, tired, or in a passive, pleasurable state - that is, whenever your will is resting; or else exhausted. On these occasions, "when in doubt, say No!" You will save yourself much regret by remembering this bit of advice. It is based on a proven psychological law. I have learned this law by bitter personal experience. Re-member it!

Let us consider the fourth line of action of Mental Suggestion:

Suggestion Through Repetition

This form of Mental Suggestion is quite common, and the study of its manifestations is quite interesting, for it brings into operation a well known psychological principle which has its correspondences in the physical work - "constant dripping will wear away the hardest stone."

You know the story of the man who told his favorite lie so often that he believed it himself? Well this is a psychological fact. People have started in to make a certain appearance of truth, in words, or manner, by assuming something to be true that was not so. Then they kept on repeating the thing adding a little here, and a little there, until the thing got to be "a fixed idea" with them, and they actually believe it. And if a person can suggest himself into accepting a false belief in this way, you can see how it will operate on others.

The secret of the operation of this form of suggestion lies in the pschological facts of "weakened resistance through repetition of the "attack," and the "force of habit." The first time an unaccustomed suggestion is made, the mind sets up an active resistance; but the next time it is presented, the suggestion is not quite so unfamiliar as before, and a lessened resistance is set up; and so on, until at las' no resistance is interposed, and the Suggestion is accepted. You know the old verse:

"Vice is a monster of so frightful mien, That, to be hated, needs but to be seen. But seen too oft, familiar with her face, We first endure, then pity, then embrace."

And this rule holds good with suggestions. We first resist them; then endure them; then accept them - unless we understand the law.

The psychological fact involved in this form of suggestion is that impressions upon brain-cells become deepened by constant repetition. It is like sinking a die into a cake of wax - it goes deeper at each pressure. The mind is very apt to accept as true anything that it finds deeply impressed upon its records. It has become accustomed to finding these deep impressions only when they have been made by repeated efforts of its own intellect, or judgment, or experience, and so when it finds these deep impressions that have been placed there by repeated Suggestions of others, it is not apt to discriminate. It finds itself "feeling" these things that have been repeatedly impressed upon it. Like the cuckoo's egg in the robin's nest, these illegitimate mental impressions are nurtured as one's "very own."

There is a constant struggle for existence upon the part of the ideas, or mental images impressed upon me. The strong crowd out the weak. And in the majority of cases, the strongest ones are those which have either been impressed in a vivid manner, or else by repetition. The second time you meet a man, yon may have trouble in remembering him; but the third time it is easier; and so on, until at last you forget that he ever was a stranger. And so it is with these suggested ideas - you grow familiar with them through repetition; they lose their strangeness to you; and at last you cease to concern yourself about them. A strange thing is generally inspected, examined, viewed suspiciously, etc., hut after the strangeness has worn off you cease to exercise the former caution. "Familiarity breeds contempt." - and also lack of caution. Suggestion gains force by each repetition. This is one of the fundamental laws of suggestion, and one that all should remember.

If you would take mental stock of yourself, you would find that you entertain a vast number of feelings, ideas and opinions, which you possess simply through this law of repeated suggestion. You have heard certain things affirmed, over and over again, until you have come to accept them as veritable facts, notwithstanding that you possess not the slightest personal knowledge of any logical proof, concerning them. Shrewd moulders of public opinion employ this law, and constantly repeat a certain thing, in varying words and style, until at last the public accepts it as a proven and unquestioned fact.

Many a man has gained a reputation for wisdom, merely because his friends repeatedly affirmed it, and the public accepted the suggestion. Many a statesman has had a reputation built up for him by friendly newspaper correspondents, whose constantly repeated suggestions have caused the idea to crystallize into a material form in the public mind. And many a reputation has been destroyed by the repeated shrugs, sneers, and insinuations of gossips and evil-wishers.

Advertisers understand this law, and keep the re-peated suggestion of the merit of their wares constantly before the public mind, until it becomes gospel with the people. "If at first you don't succeed," and "Never take No! for an answer," are two axioms very dear to the heart of the man who uses suggestion "in his business."

Do not be deceived by this subtle form of suggestion. Do not imagine that an untrue thing becomes true because it is repeated often. Do not allow your judgment to be lulled to sleep by this drowsy repetition of the slumber-song. Keep awake - keep awake! An understanding of this law of suggestion will throw light on many things that have puzzled you heretofore. Think over it a bit, when you have time.