es
our thinking a great deal more than logic. Consciously or unconsciously,
our feelings about almost everything are largely molded by ready-made
opinions and attitudes fostered by our mass methods of communication. We
cannot buy a bar of soap or a filtered cigarette without paying tribute
to the impact of suggestion. Right or wrong, most of us place more
confidence in what "they" say than we do in our own powers of reason.
This is the basic reason why psychiatrists are in short supply. We
distrust our own mental processes and want an expert to tell us what to
think and feel.

Despite this tendency to adopt our attitudes from others, man has always
been dimly aware that he can influence his own destiny by directing his
thoughts and actions into constructive channels. He has always, to some
extent, known that his mind exerts a powerful influence on his body, and
that thoughts can have harmful or helpful effects on his emotional and
physical health. The ancient Egyptian sleep temples and the attempts by
early physicians to drive evil spirits out of the body were both
attempts to influence the body through the mind.

The unprecedented sale of _The Power of Positive Thinking_ by Norman
Vincent Peale and other inspirational literature proves that millions of
modern people recognize the efficacy of constructive thoughts. What most
of them do not recognize is that they are capable of implanting these
beneficial thoughts in their own minds without reference to any outside
agencies. This can be done through self-hypnosis.

In modern society we have many cults, religions and methodologies which
have mental discipline as their goal. The best example of a methodology
is psychosomatic medicine which deals with the interrelationship of the
mind and body in the production of mental or physical illness. The rapid
growth of hypnosis in the last few years is another example, and it is
gratifying to see that the emphasis in this field is now shifting from
hetero-hypnosis to self-hypnosis.

Self-hypnosis is a highly suggestible state wherein the individual can
direct suggestions to himself. It is a powerful tool in any therapeutic
process, and highly motivated subjects can parallel the success of
hetero-hypnosis through their own efforts. Self-hypnosis can be used as
a palliative agent and can even afford lasting results in many areas of
the organism. Self-hypnosis can alleviate distressing symptoms,
substitute strong responses for wea