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Fourteen Lessons in Yogi Philosophy and Oriental Occultism148
lesson (we are claiming nothing of the sort), but merely because the reading
of it has caused the student’s mind to awaken to its own power, and to assert
itself.
Remember, the mind attracts only such thoughts as are harmonious with
its own thoughts—and the Instinctive Mind is influenced against its own
interests, only when its owner has admitted his own weakness and lack of
ability to master and guard it. You must guard your own Instinctive Mind, and
assert your master and ownership of it, as, otherwise, that ownership may
be asserted, claimed and usurped by others more masterful than yourself.
You have the strength and power necessary within you, if you but assert it.
It is yours for the asking—why don’t you demand it? You may awaken the “I”
consciousness and develop it by the power of assertion, which will aid in its
unfoldment. We will have more to say on this point in the following pages.
We will now consider the third form of Psychic Influence, which is known
as Mesmerism, Hypnotism, etc. We can merely touch upon that subject here,
as its varied forms and phenomena would fill books, if spread out. But we
think we can make it clear to you in a few words, as you have followed our
thoughts in this and the preceding lessons.
The first thing to remember is that Mesmerism or Hypnotism is but a
combination of the two methods just mentioned, plus a greater amount of
Prana projected with the Personal Suggestion or Thought-Wave. In other
words, the Suggestion or Thought-Wave becomes charged with Prana to a
greater degree than is ordinarily the case, and becomes as much stronger
than the ordinary suggestion or thought-wave, as a thought-form is
stronger than an ordinary thought-wave. In short, mesmerism or hypnotism
is practically the bathing of the person in a flow of thought-forms, kept
stimulated and active by a constant supply of Prana, which has in such cases
often been called “the mesmeric fluid.” And, another thing to remember
is that no person can be mesmerized or hypnotised unless his Instinctive
Mind is unguarded or without its proper master, unless the person agrees
to be mesmerized and actually consents to it. So that, in the end, it comes