how patients were made to believe that they were monkeys or madmen, or
umbrellas, or criminals, women or men, _à volonté_, but in few of them
did I find that it had ever occurred to anybody to turn this wonderful
power of developing the intellect to any permanent benefit, or to
increasing the moral sense. Then it came to my mind since
Self-Suggestion was possible that if I would resolve to work _all_ the
next day; that is, apply myself to literary or artistic labor without
once feeling fatigue, and succeed, it would be a marvelous thing for
a man of my age. And so it befell that by making an easy beginning I
brought it to pass to perfection. What I mean by an easy beginning
is not to will or resolve _too_ vehemently, but to simply and very
gently, yet assiduously, impress the idea on the mind _so as to fall
asleep while thinking of it as a thing to be_. My next step was to
_will_ that I should, all the next day, be free from any nervous or
mental worry, or preserve a hopeful, calm, or well-balanced state of
mind. This led to many minute and extremely curious experiences and
observations. That the imperturbable or calm state of mind promptly
set in was undeniable, but it often behaved, like the Angel in H. G.
Wells' novel, "The Wonderful Visit," as if somewhat frightened at, or
of, with, or by its new abode, and no wonder, for it was indeed a
novel guest, and the goblins of "Worry and Tease, Fidget and Fear,"
who had hitherto been allowed to riot about and come and go at their
own sweet mischievous wills, were ill-pleased at being made to keep
quiet by this new lady of the manor. And indeed no mere state of
mind, however well maintained, can resist everything, and the
mildest mannered man may cut a throat under great provocation. I
had my lapses, but withal I was simply astonished to find how, by
perseverance, habitual calm not only grew on me, but how decidedly it
increased. I most assuredly have experienced it to such a degree as to
marvel that the method is not more employed as a cure for nervous