Section 4 - Part B:

 Health and Healing 

So far as your own health is concerned, you ought by now to be well on the way to recovery from any illness or complaint that may have troubled you at the time you began this work. But once you are well, you naturally want to stay well. You ought not to have to spend a lot of time and energy in curing constantly recurring sickness of different kinds. You will probably also want to use your marvellous healing knowledge to help others who are not yet able to help themselves.  

Therefore, it seems proper that at this particular point we should have a health discussion divided into two parts one part devoted to the problem of staying well, and the other part to the problem of healing others.  

But in all our discussions concerning health and healing you should always remember to consult a doctor if you are ill. What is more, you should also advise others to seek medical help if they are ill. In co-operation with modern medical science, the methods contained in this Lesson will prove to be very effective in improving your own health and helping others to improve theirs.  

The first part of the discussion will be short and very simple. If you are already well, or after you get well, devote a few quiet moments once a week to a realisation that you are well, and that you will remain so. If you feel it necessary, you might use the clock-method for this purpose, framing your preliminary assertion somewhat like this: "I show perfect health in every way". Then let your clock sing you to sleep with words somewhat like this: "I am well in every way - I am well in every way”. You will realise, of course, that this formula would be very much worse than useless if you really felt that you were not well; for in that case, it would invoke the operation of the Law of Reversed Effort.

So far as you are personally concerned, this is all that need be said to you about keeping well. There is no need to understand the methods by which your body is sustained and repaired. The Subconscious Mind knows more about these things in a second than you could possibly learn in a lifetime, and if you will suggest to it the final result you want, it will find and use the means necessary to achieve it. 

But since your new-found knowledge may make you feel responsible for helping others, you will quite naturally be interested in the best means of improving their health. In a general way, this second phase of the subject is just as simple as the first. Prescribe for others the methods by which you have improved your own health. You will, however, encounter some people who cannot, or will not, use these methods. Either they will not understand the principles, involved, or else you will be unable to arouse in them a sufficient faith to persuade them to use the prescribed methods, even though they roughly understand the principles, involved. Among these types of persons there may be one or more whom you are very anxious to help. Therefore, the greater part of this Lesson will be devoted to a general presentation of the methods with which you can improve the health of other people. 

The Magic of Chevreul’s Pendulum 

In the first place, you will need a Chevreul's Pendulum. This is a simple piece of equipment which you can easily make. On a piece of white cardboard 12 to 15 inches (30 to 38 cm) square draw a perfect black circle approximately eight inches (20 cm) in diameter. You can draw this circle yourself, by taking a perfectly round plate or dish of approximately eight inches (20 cm) in diameter, placing it in the centre of the cardboard, and drawing a pencil line round the outer edge. Then trace the circle with black ink, and draw two lines through its centre, one vertically and the other horizontally. These straight lines should also be traced with black ink. Next get a small smooth stick of about five inches (13 cm) in length, cut a groove round it at one end, and tie into this groove one end of a piece of thread the same length as the stick. To the other end of the thread tie a heavy gold ring, or some other small bright object of about the same weight. The stick, thread and ring or other heavy bright object will now resemble a miniature fishing-rod and line, with a rather disproportionate bait at the end of the line. This small fishing-rod and line form a Chevreul's Pendulum, an instrument which, with the cardboard with the crossed circle on it, is very useful in psychological healing work. 

If anyone asks you to help him to improve his health, sit him down. quietly and talk to him along the following lines: "You are hoping that I can make you feel better. You are on the wrong track. I cannot improve your health, and the sooner you realise this the better it will be for you. You can, however, improve your own health; and if you are really willing to try, I shall be glad to help you". You may vary this little speech in any way you think fit, but direct all your preliminary talk to making the sick person realise that his cure depends upon himself, and that all you can do is to counsel, guide and advise him. 

(To avoid confusion, I am referring to "him" and "his" in this example. Of course, this can also be read as "her" if more appropriate.) 

When you have obtained his co-operation, ask him to stand beside a table, with his left arm hanging at his side, his right arm at his side to his elbow, his right forearm extended over the table, and the little fishing-rod in his right hand, but without pressing his right elbow to his side. If the person is left-handed, it is quite all right to let him hold the rod in his left hand, with the other arm hanging at his side. Then place on the table the cardboard bearing the crossed circle, in such a way that the bright object will be directly between his eyes and the crossing of the lines. 

Now stand in front of him on the opposite side of the table and say: "I am now about to teach you something about the wisdom and power of the Subconscious Mind, and to demonstrate to you in a simple way one operation of what is called the Law of Reversed Effort. Your part in this little experiment is to try to hold the weight at the end of the line perfectly still so that it will hide from your vision the crossing of the lines. Now look directly at the horizontal line, and let your eyes glide backward and forward along it without losing sight of the weight. If it starts to move, do not grip nor jerk the rod, but simply try to hold it still. As a matter of fact, you cannot hold it still. In spite of all your efforts to do so, it will soon begin to swing along the horizontal line". As you say these last words make several slow horizontal motions with your hand, as if illustrating your words with a gesture. If necessary, repeat these words and gestures several times. If not successful the first time, explain to your friend that these preliminaries are not always successful immediately, and try again on other days until you do succeed. 

The Law of Suggestion at Work 

In the great majority of cases the experiment will succeed within a very few minutes perhaps within a few seconds. The mental laws that are at work in the operation of a Chevreul's Pendulum are the Law of Suggestion, which says that the tendency of an isolated idea is to realise itself in the life and affairs of those who isolate it, and the Law of Reversed Effort, a troublesome law of the mind which can cause people to work against themselves and their plans without being aware that they are doing so. The operation of the Law of Reversed Effort is invoked if one attempts to do something that one really does not want to do or that one is afraid cannot be done, or if one attempts to oppose Imagination with Will. The way in which the Law of Reversed Effort is set in motion in the operation of the Chevreul's Pendulum is by attempting to oppose Imagination with Will. The suggestion that the pendulum will move is held in isolation in the Objective Mind and transferred to the Subconscious Mind, which realises it by prompting an imperceptible movement of the hand controlling the stick. 

With the first slight swing of the pendulum the person you are helping will redouble his efforts to steady it. He wills it to remain still in spite of the fact that his Imagination, fed by your suggestions, pictures it as swinging. He therefore invokes the operation of the Law of Reversed Effort, making the pendulum continue to swing. The movement of the person's hand will be so slight, and so delicately timed and executed, as to be imperceptible even to him, and he will feel sure that the movement is caused by some force outside himself. You should explain to him, however, that it is the work of the Subconscious Mind, and also tell him in a general way the part played by the Law of Reversed Effort. These explanations should not be made until after the experiment is completed, and so far I have described only a part of it. 

When the pendulum has attained its maximum horizontal swing, say to the person: "Now, let your eyes glide upwards and downwards along the vertical line several times, and in spite of your efforts to prevent it, the pendulum will change its direction and swing along the vertical line". Here you should make a few gestures indicating the vertical swing. The change in direction will soon occur in one of three different ways. The pendulum may come to rest, and then begin swinging the other way; its swing may begin to take a circular form, changing to an ellipse or oval with the axis along the vertical line, and finally swinging straight along that line; or it may continue to swing in a straight line. But it will gradually leave the horizontal line and finally swing along the vertical line. Then in the same way change the swing of the pendulum to a circle, when the experiment will be complete. The whole process should be repeated on several different days, each time with a little additional discussion of the Subconscious Mind and its power to heal. 

When the pendulum responds quickly and freely, your friend is ready for the next experiment, for which you need only a light straight chair, with the back slightly curved backwards. Ask him to stand behind the chair, with his hands on top of it, the fingers and palms in front of it and his thumbs hooked over the back, in about the same position that you would grasp the chair if you walked up behind it for the purpose of moving it. Then say to him: "Now mentally say to yourself, ‘This chair is going to rear up on its back legs,' and repeat this thought several times. Now I tell you that the chair is actually going to rear up on its back legs, in spite of all you can do to prevent it". Repeat these words until the chair actually rears up or until you decide that for the present the experiment is not a success. 

It is as well to stand behind your friend during this experiment; for in some cases the chair comes back with such violence that he can be thrown to the floor, unless he is held and steadied. Of course, the rearing of the chair is affected by a subconsciously controlled movement of his hands of which he is objectively unaware, and this should afterwards be carefully explained to him.

How to Begin Subjective Treatment 

When the experiments with the pendulum and the chair have been successfully demonstrated, you will be ready to begin suggestive treatment. Begin this treatment by seating your friend quietly in a chair and talking to him something like this: "Close your eyes. Now you are in a state of rest and relaxation. Gradually you'll feel a sense of soothing calm. You are thinking of nothing in particular - only listening to my words. From now on you will notice a constant improvement in your health. Day by day, in all respects, you will get better and better. You will sleep better and awake more refreshed. Your appetite will be better and your digestion better. You will be hungry at each meal-time, and the food you eat will do you good. Your body will begin to work regularly, normally, perfectly". Here you should make a few suggestions of improvement of the particular kind that you know your friend wants, being careful not to deny the actual existence of his illness, nor to claim an immediate cure. Finally, say to him: "Now I am going to count to five, and when I say the word 'five', you will come out of your present relaxed mental state; but you will feel refreshed, bright, cheerful and better in all respects. One-two-three-four-five!" 

Having helped your friend to this point, you should now teach him the methods of improving his health which I have already taught you. 

Occasionally you will find someone who will not respond to this kind of treatment. He will react to the preliminary work with the pendulum and the chair, but will not show any marked improvement under suggestion. This sort of person is not co-operating with you. You should try to obtain his co-operation by using hypnotic suggestion. Take care when using this method, because it has its disadvantages; but in a few cases nothing short of it will work. 

Making Hypnotic Suggestions 

Do not use the words hypnotic suggestion to your friend. Seat him quietly in a half-reclining position, and tell him you want to "talk him to sleep", in order that you may try a somnolent suggestion. Tell him to think several times in succession, "I am going to sleep - going to sleep - going to sleep". Then speak to him as follows: "Now, fix your eyes steadily on mine, and try not to blink. You feel a sense of calmness coming over you. Your limbs feel heavy and sluggish. The sensation of sleep is filling your whole body. Your eyes are getting tired and watery. Your eyelids are as heavy as lead. You are going to sleep. Now I shall count slowly up to twenty, and by the time I have finished you will be sound asleep." 

In the great majority of cases the person will, indeed, be sound asleep by the time you have finished counting. If he is not asleep by then, say to him in a commanding but low tone of voice: "Close your eyes! Sleep!" Then he will usually close his eyes and go to sleep. 

Push the hypnotic suggestions further by saying to the sleeping subject: “You are now sound asleep. Your slumber is deep - very deep - deeper than you have ever experienced before." Then give him the healing suggestions I have already prescribed. When you want to wake him, say: "Now again I am going to count slowly up to twenty, and by the time I have finished counting you will be wide awake."  

In some cases, my formula for producing results may prove too brief. In that event you should try again, repeating and paraphrasing the different parts of it. In any event, you should proceed very slowly, calmly and deliberately, keeping your voice at a low pitch and as near a monotone as possible. Let your whole demeanour show a calm assurance and an air of authority - but all of this without any show of harshness. 

You will encounter some temporary failures at every stage of the work. Do not let them perturb you. Explain to the subject that success will come with persistence. An application of the simple methods prescribed in this part of the Course will enable you to improve the health of many people.