Thoughts which he would banish, "Be ye my slaves and begone into outer
darkness," or to Peace "Dwell with me forever, come what may," _and be
obeyed_, that man is a mighty magician who has attained what is worth
more than all that Earth possesses. Absolute self-control under the
conditions before defined--since our happiness to be true must agree
with that of others--is absolutely essential to happiness. There can
be no greater hero than the man who can conquer himself and think
exactly as he pleases. That which annoys, tempts, stirs us to being
irritable, wicked, or mean, is an aggregate of evil thoughts or images
received by chance or otherwise into the memory, developed there into
vile unions, and new forms like coalescing animalcule, and so powerful
and vivid or objective do they become that men in all ages have given
them a real existence as evil spirits.

Every sane man living, can if he _really_ desires it, obtain complete
absolute command of himself, exorcise these vile demons and bring in
peace instead, by developing with determination the simple process
which I have described. I have found in my own experience a fierce
pleasure in considering obnoxious and pernicious Thoughts as imps or
demons to be conquered, in which case Pride and even Arrogance become
virtues, even as poisons in their place are wholesome medicines. Thus,
he who is haunted with the fixed idea, even well nigh to monomania,
that he will never give way to ill temper, that nothing shall disturb
his equanimity, need not fear evil results any more than the being
haunted by angels. Now we can all have fixed or haunting ideas, on any
subject which we please to entertain--but the idea to create good and
beneficent haunting has not, that I am aware, been suggested by
philosophers.

That mental influence can be exerted hypnotically most directly and